The UHV system is a magnetron sputtering system with a background pressure around 10e-10 mbar and a deposition pressure of 1e-3 to 1e-2 mbar. It is equipped with a loadlock that holds a sample garage with 7 sample spaces. One sample space can hold a 15x15mm wafer. The substrate is transferred to and from the chamber using two linear manipulators and a wobble stick. Most targets in the chamber are at an angle with respect to the sample, and the sample can be tilted towards 3 out of 4 magnetron sources. The system can be used with both DC and RF power supplies (DC being standard). The sputtering gas is Ar; the loadlock is also connected to N2 and O2 for oxidation. The substrate stays relatively cool and cannot be cooled or heated away from room temperature.
To keep the chamber conditions UHV, it is never vented to atmospheric pressure. Instead, samples are first pumped down to 5e-8 mbar inside a small loadlock. Samples are transferred from loadlock to chamber and back while the chamber is at an Ar overpressure with respect to the loadlock. This ensures contaminants from the loadlock cannot reach the chamber.
The pressures in loadlock and chamber are read out via ion gauges on the black panel below the system. IG1 reads out the chamber, while IG2 reads out the loadlock (always double check with stickers). When the light is on, the gauge is on and it is also being read out. Ion gauges can explode when operated at high pressures, so you should never vent or let in any gas with the ion gauge on. A third gauge is located on one of the chamber sides and is used to gauge the chamber pressure when Ar flows into the chamber. It automatically switches between an ion gauge and a pirani gauge, so that it works at sputter pressures.
The system also has intermediate vacuum gauges behind the loadlock and chamber turbos. These are marked A and B on the black panel respectively. The Ar monitoring ion gauge has a separate controller on the rack.
First check the logbook to see if you are interfering with someone else. Users write down their names upon loading their samples. So fill in your name and the date before starting your loading procedure!
Pre-sputtering
Loading
Sputtering
Finishing
Definition: sputtering angle
is the angle between substrate and target. If this angle is not zero, it should be noted here. Note that for sources 1 and 3 the substrate needs to be tilted 45 degrees to have a zero sputtering angle
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RECENT RATES
Material | Date | Sample ID | Process parameters | Measurement | Result | Rate |
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Co | 20140916 | Co_cal | 4.0e-3 mbar, 100 mA, 14 min | X-ray | 62.8 nm | 4.48 nm/min |
Cu | 20140916 | Cu_cal | 4.0e-3 mbar, 65 mA, 5 min | X-ray | 53.6 nm | 10.72 nm/min |
Nb | 20140916 | Nb_cal | 4.0e-3 mbar, 200 mA, 15 min, 45 deg | X-ray | 46.9 nm | 3.13 nm/min |
Nb | 20140925 | Nb_cal1 | 4.0e-3 mbar, 200 mA, 12 min 43 s, 45 deg | X-ray | 41.1 nm | 3.23 nm/min |
Nb | 20140925 | Nb_cal2 | 4.0e-3 mbar, 200 mA, 12 min 43 s, 45 deg | X-ray | 41.2 nm | 3.24 nm/min |
Ni | 20140916 | Ni_cal | 4.0e-3 mbar, 150 mA, 14 min | X-ray | 67.8 nm | 4.84 nm/min |
Pd | 20160608 | Pd_cal | 3.2e-3 mbar, 100 mA, 15 min | profilometer | 108 nm | 7.2 nm/min |
Py | 20170206 | Py_cal2 | 4.0e-3 mbar, 150 mA, 15 min | profilometer | 73.72 nm | 4.9 nm/min |
The following materials are available
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