Denton 18 Operation Procedure
Denton 18 Operation Procedure
Sputtering
Sputter coatings are performed by accelerating Ar ions in a plasma into the surface
of a sputter target. This causes the target materials to be knocked off and
deposited on the substrate. Sputter coating normally offers better step coverage
compared to evaporation. While this is desired for some processes, it may make
processes such as lift-off (where line-of-sight deposition is preferrable) more
difficult.
System Specifications
• Three cathodes: #1 for RF sputtering (dielectrics), #2 & #3
for DC sputtering (metals) which holds 3’’ targets
• Gas 1: Ar; Gas 2: N2
• Holds up to 6’’ wafers; good uniformity over 6’’ range
• Substrate rotation up to ~20 rpm
• Typical process temperature < 34 °C; sample plate heating
up to 300 °C
• Directional deposition / substrate heat / reactive
sputtering capabilities (talk to NANO3 staff)
• For Tin (Sn) sputtering, please make reservation at least one week
ahead and email Sean Parks ([email protected]) the same time, so
that the staff can arrange chamber protection with Al foil
Cathode
#1
Touchscreen
Cathode Cathode
#3 #2
Materials Installed
Viewport Gas Available
B D
Sample Plate
Heat Temp.
Deg C
O-ring
Thermocouple
A
Viewport
Sealing Surface B
Liquid Nitrogen
Valve & Nozzle Funnel
Properly
Closed Lid
Liquid Nitrogen
Bucket Open
Position
FR1
B C
Rotation
Speed D
Denton Discovery 18 Operation Procedure 12
7. Setting Gas Flow Rates (Sputter Pressure)
Adjust the gas flow rates to get the desired process pressure.
1) Press Gas Control A to switch to the Gas Control screen.
2) Turn the Gas #1 Power ON B for Ar. Change the gas flow rate set points to desired
levels by pressing Gas #1 Setpoint C and entering the value. Watch the Sputter
Pressure when changing values and increase the gas flow until you reach your desired
process pressure. Gas #2 power cannot be turned on in isolation. If you need Gas #2
only, you need to also turn on the power for Gas #1 (with a set point of 0).
3) Turn Gas #1 Power OFF B. Press Close D to switch back to the system Overview screen.
You can check the gas flow setpoint on Gas 1 or 2 SP on the system Overview Screen.
A Sputter
Pressure
Gas Flow
Setpoint D
B C
A
Sputter
Pressure
A
C E
D
Interlock
Indicator Sputter
Lights Pressure
C E
B
F
D
G
G
H
A
F D E
C
B
Interlock
Indicator Sputter
Lights Pressure
Heat Temp.
Deg C
B