Wisconsin Center for Applied Microelectronics
1550 Engineering Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Phone: 608/262-6877
Fax: 608/265-2614
OPERATING PROCEDURES
Metal E-Beam Evaporator
Rev. 01/07/15
Table of Contents
Vent & Load
First/Single Depositions
Additional Depositions
Vent & Unload
Crystal Change
Material Data Information
Material Restrictions:
All materials on your sample must be on the “allowed materials list” for this tool before using it.
NO EXCEPTIONS. It is the user’s responsibility to make sure that the material(s) they are
putting in a tool is on the allowed materials list for that tool. Here is how to check the Allowed
Materials list for WCAM tools:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Go to WCAM’s website at: http://wcam.engr.wisc.edu/
Click on the “Chemicals in the Lab” link.
Click on the link at the top of the page “LIST OF APPROVED MATERIALS”.
Scroll thru the document to find the tool you want to check the materials list for or hit Ctrl +
F to bring up a search bar for the document and type in the tool’s name that you want to
check the materials list for.
5. If the material(s) that you want to use in a tool are not on the approved list for that tool you
may not put your sample in the tool. If you have no other way to process your sample and
think it makes sense to use a particular material in a tool you may request that it be added to
that tool’s material list by filling out the form on the “Chemicals in the Lab” webpage listed
as “New Material Request Form”. Then email your material request form along with a MSDS
for the material to the WCAM lab manager. The request will be reviewed by the WCAM
advisory committee and you will get an email back from the lab manager approving or
denying your material request for a particular tool.
Page 1
Document1
Vent & Load
OPERATING PROCEDURE
Metal Evaporator
Rev. 2/8/2016
Pre-Run Check
1. Ensure that the Cryo pump is on. The temperature should
read  20K.
2. Ensure that the CVC AVC-485 is in AUTO mode.
3. Ensure that the water-cooling valve is closed (fully
counterclockwise).
4. Check the pressure in the system to see if it is less than 2E-6
torr. If it is not check the log book to see if a recently opened
system explains the high pressure. Contact staff if there is a problem.
Vent
1. Ensure the Ion Gauge is OFF
2. Press VENT on the left side of the
Automatic Valve Control.
3. Wait for the Atmosphere Lamp
to light green..
4. Turn and hold the HOIST switch in the RAISE position. The bell jar will lift. Release the
HOIST switch once the bell jar has risen above the substrate holder.
Page 2
Document1
Caution:
Before working inside the chamber verify there is no high voltage
present by touching the hearth and high voltage leads with the
grounding rod.
Loading the Substrates
There are two choices for mounting
samples in the evaporator:
1) On a wafer
dome. This is a good
Upper Level
choice if your samples are whole
wafers and you want to coat many of
them at once. Domes are available
with openings for 3” or 4” wafers.
2) On the small-parts mount, placed in
the drop-in holder on the upper
level of the chamber. This mount will
hold small or irregularly shaped piece.
Page 3
Document1
WAFER
DOME
DOME & UPPER LEVEL – Loading your substrates (continued)
IF YOU ARE LOADING YOUR SAMPLE ON THE UPPER LEVEL:
1. There are three substrate holders: a 3” wafer dome, a 4” wafer dome and a square drop-in
for use with the small-parts mount.
2. Remove the substrate holder you want to use from the dry box and place it on the tabletop.
3. If you are using the small-parts mount, attach your samples to it and place it in face down in
the square opening of the substrate holder. If you are using one of the wafer domes, place
your samples in the openings, and place “dummy” wafers into any wafer positions that you
are not using.
4. Pick up the substrate holder by placing the “dome tool” into the hole in the dome or the
hole in the angle on top of the square drop-in holder.
5. Using the “dome tool”, place the substrate holder on the upper level of the rack in the
chamber. Position the substrate holder onto the support ring, pushing it back until the
substrate holder rests against the posts on the back of the support ring.
U THE 4” WAFER DOME, WITH
WAFERS, IN THE CHAMBER RACK
PPER LEVEL
Page 4
Document1
Prepare the evaporator for deposition
The mounting method you choose will affect the way you set up the film
thickness monitor.
LTHICKNESS
MONITOR
CRYSTAL
OWER LEVEL
Page 5
Document1
1. Check crystal life – push #1 on Keypad
for LIFE, reading should be < 15%.
a. XTAL is above the substrate
holder. This is active when the
shutter is open or closed.
2. Clean or replace mirror. Pull the
mirror up and out of the metal mirror
holder, DO NOT loosen the metal
mirror holders
3. Place your materials in the hearth.
OPEN the shutter and reach through
the shutter opening to place the
material in the hearth. Ensure you know what direction to turn the hearth rotation to
change the materials during the deposition.
4. Close the shutter under the substrate. Ensure that you understand the proper direction to
turn the shutter handle.
5. Turn and hold the HOIST switch in the LOWER position. The bell jar will lower. Release the
HOIST switch once the bell jar is resting on the collar.
Page 6
Document1
Pump down
1. Using the controller labeled CVC AVC-485:
a.) Press START on the Automatic Valve Control
After the system has been roughed out by the mechanical pump it will cross over to the Cryo
Pump. You must be in attendance of the system to make sure that this happens and that it
begins to pump down properly.
b.)Wait (typically <1 hour) for the system to reach a low base pressure of less than 2.1e-6.
2. The base pressure can be checked on the Ion Gauge Controller after the low pressure gauge
has gone to zero.
a.) Press the FILAMENT ON/OFF switch to light the filament.
b.) Read the pressure on the display above the switch.
3. Record your information in logbook:
a.) Today’s date
b.) Your Name
c.) Time you started
d.) Time you started to pump down.
Page 7
Document1
First/Single Deposition
OPERATING PROCEDURE
Metal Evaporator
Rev. 2/8/2016
Program the Rate Monitor
1. Log onto CRESS.
a. If you are using WCAM Gold or Gold-Germanium, input the thickness you will deposit
and pick the correct material from the list. If you are depositing other material or you
are using your own gold or gold-germanium source material, pick ”Other Material.”
2. Turn ON the POWER switch on the XTC front panel if it was turned off.
3. On the XTC RATE MONITOR:
a. If an Err 1 appears on the display, press START to clear.
b. Press PROG to enter the program mode.
c. Press and hold E  until the cursor is at DENSITY. Using the numeric keypads enter the
density of the material you want to evaporate, then press E .
d. The cursor should now be at Z-RATIO. Using the
numeric keypads enter the z-ratio of the
material you want to evaporate, then press E .
 UPPER LEVEL – Advance the cursor until
TOOLING FACTOR #1. Ensure that the
tooling factor is correct. If not, using the
numeric keypads enter the tooling factor
then press E . If your samples are
mounted on the upper level of the chamber,
the tooling factor for XTAL 1 is 85%.
e. DOME – If your samples are mounted on the
Dome, the tooling factor is 48.7 %.
f. Press PROG to exit the program mode.
g. Ppress STOP and RESET.
h. Press MPWR on the XTC to use the manual power control. It should read MANUAL in
lower right corner of display.
Page 8
Document1
Deposition
Pressure must be < 2E-6 torr before starting.
1. Turn ON the cooling water using the valve on the back of the right side panel. Interlock
should all be GREEN.
2. Turn KEY LOCK ON to the power supply.
3. Press MAIN POWER ON. Ensure all the green interlock lamps are lit.
Page 9
Document1
4. Press the green HV ON push button. Observe the proper high voltage reading on the HV
meter. (IF required adjust using the VOLTAGE ADJUST potentiometer to read 10.00 KV.)
5. Ensure the SOURCE EMISSION CURRENT ADJUST potentiometer is fully counter-clockwise
(0).
6. Press the green SOURCE FILAMENT ON push button.
7. Slowly increase the SOURCE
EMISSION CURRENT ADJUST
potentiometer to the desired
deposition condition.
8. Inspect the e-beam on the
crucible for correct position. It
may be necessary to adjust the ebeam.
1. STOP button –
Displays STOP
Use the lateral and longitudinal POSITION potentiometer to adjust location of the beam.
The AMPLITUDE is the distance range of the e-beam oscillation.
Page 10
Document1
The FREQUENCY is the rate of oscillation.
9. Open the shutter and simultaneously press #2 on Keypad to ZERO the deposition on the
XTC monitor.
10. Watch the thickness value on the monitor until it reaches the desired deposition thickness.
Close the shutter at the proper deposition thickness.
11. SLOWLY Decrease the SOURCE EMISSION ADJUST potentiometer to zero.
12. Press the red SOURCE OFF push button.
13. Press the red HV OFF push button.
14. Press STOP on XTC monitor.
15. If you are completely done with all layers, press MAIN POWER OFF and turn the KEY LOCK
OFF.
16. If you are doing only one deposition then let the source cool for 20 minutes before
turning off the water.
17. If you are not done and you need to deposit another layer let this source cool for 10
minutes before rotating the turret to the next material. Continue with the ADDITIONAL
DEPOSITION section.
Page 11
Document1
Additional Deposition
OPERATING PROCEDURE
Metal Evaporator
Rev. 2/8/2016
Program the Rate Monitor
1. To deposition another layer on top of
the previously deposited layer, rotate
the hearth to the crucible containing
the new material.
4. Reprogram the XTC RATE MONITOR for
the new layer:
a. If an Err 1 appears on the display,
press START to clear.
b. Press PROG to enter the program
mode.
c. Press and hold E  until the cursor is at DENSITY. Using the numeric keypads enter the
density of the material you want to evaporate, then press E .
d. The cursor should now be at Z-RATIO. Using the numeric keypads enter the z-ratio of
the material you want to evaporate, then press E .
e. Press PROG to exit the program mode.
f. Press STOP and RESET.
g. Press MPWR on the XTC to use the manual power control. It should read MANUAL in
lower right corner of display.
NOTE:
 If the thickness of the previous layer is larger than the additional layer, use the previous
layer’s z-ratio.
 If the thickness of the previous layer is thin compared to the additional layer, use the
additional layer’s z-ratio.
 If the thickness of both layers is similar, use a weighted average of their z-ratio.
Page 12
Document1
Deposition
1. The cooling water should be ON.
2. Turn KEY LOCK ON to the power supply.
3. Press MAIN POWER ON. Ensure all the green interlock lamps are lit.
4. Press the green HV ON push button. Observe the proper high voltage reading on the HV
meter. (If required adjust using the VOLTAGE ADJUST potentiometer to read 10.00 KV.)
5. Ensure the SOURCE EMISSION CURRENT ADJUST potentiometer is fully counter-clockwise
(0).
6. Press the green SOURCE FILAMENT ON push button.
7. Slowly increase the SOURCE EMISSION CURRENT ADJUST potentiometer to the desired
deposition condition.
Page 13
Document1
1. STOP button
– Displays STOP
NOTE:
 If the
8. Inspect the e-beam on the crucible for correct position. It may be necessary to adjust the ebeam.
9. Use the lateral and longitudinal POSITION potentiometer to adjust the location of the ebeam. The AMPLITUDE is the distance range of the e-beam oscillation. The FREQUENCY is
the rate of oscillation.
10. Open the shutter and simultaneously press #2 on Keypad to ZERO the deposition on the
XTC monitor.
11. Watch the thickness value on the monitor until it reaches the desired deposition thickness.
Close the shutter at the proper deposition thickness.
12. SLOWLY Decrease the SOURCE EMISSION ADJUST potentiometer to zero.
13. Press the red SOURCE OFF push button.
14. Press the red HV OFF push button.
15. Press STOP on XTC monitor.
16. If you are completely done with all layers, press MAIN POWER OFF and turn the KEY LOCK
OFF.
17. If this is the last deposition then let the source cool for 20 minutes before turning off the
water.
18. If you are not done and you need to deposit another layer let this source cool for 10
minutes before rotating the turret to the next material. Continue with the ADDITIONAL
DEPOSITION section.
19. Log off of CRESS
Page 14
Document1
Vent & Unload
OPERATING PROCEDURE
Metal Evaporator
Rev. 2/8/2016
Cool Down and Vent
1. Log off of CRESS if not already done
2. Ensure the MAIN POWER OFF and the key lock is
OFF.
3. Turn OFF the cooling water.
4. Turn OFF the ionization gauge.
a. On the Ion Gauge Controller press and
release the FILAMENT ON/OFF switch to
turn off the filament.
4. Press VENT on the left of the Automatic Valve Control.
5. Wait for the Atmosphere INDICATOR light to turn Green.
6. Turn and hold the HOIST switch in the RAISE position. The
bell jar will lift. Release the HOIST switch once the
bell jar has risen above the substrate holder.
Caution:
Before Working inside the chamber verify there is no high voltage
present by touching the heath and high voltage lead with the
grounding rod.
Page 15
Document1
Unloading
1. Remove substrate holder from the support ring
 Pick up the substrate holder by placing the “dome tool” into the hole in the dome or
the hole in the angle on top of the square drop-in.
 Remove the substrate holder from the system. Set the substrate holder onto the
tabletop.
 Unload your substrates from the substrate holder. Unload any “dummy” wafers.
 Replace the substrate holder into the dry box.
2. Remove your materials from the hearth.
 OPEN the shutter and reach through the shutter opening to remove the materials
from the hearth.

Place the materials back into the proper locations in the dry box.
Record deposition
parameters in
logbook.
3. Turn and hold the HOIST switch in the LOWER position. The bell jar will lower. Release the
HOIST switch once the bell jar is resting on the collar.
Page 16
Document1
Pump down
Using the controller labeled CVC AVC-485:
b.) Press START on the Automatic Valve Control
After the system has been roughed out by the mechanical
pump it will cross over to the Cryo Pump. You must be in attendance of the system to make
sure that this happens and that it begins to pump down properly.
Log the time that you are out of the system in the log book and changed the use indicator
sign to “System Available”
Page 17
Document1
CHANGING THE CRYSTAL SENSOR
2/8/2016
To replace crystals, following the instructions below:
1. The Crystal Sensor is located below the lower sample level and above the shutter level. (Fig
1)
2. It needs to be changed when the Crystal LIFE is greater than 15%.
3. To Change the Sensor:
4. Remove the sensor holder by pulling it straight away from the water cooled base. (Fig 2)
5. The sensor is held in the holder by a few small tabs around its circumference. (Fig 3)
6. Push the used sensor out by applying a small force to the exposed section on the front.
7. Install a new sensor into the holder by placing the sensor into the tabs from the back and
applying a small force to seat the sensor between the tabs.
8. Install the holder back into the water cooled base.
9. Verify the sensor LIFE is now zero.
Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Page 18
Document1
MATERIAL DATA INFORMATION
Aluminum
Chromium
Copper
Germanium
Gold
Gold /12% Ge
Iron
Molybdenum
Nickel
Palladium
Platinum
Silicon
Silver
Tantalum
Titanium
Tungsten
Zirconium
Al
Cr
Cu
Ge
Au
Au/Ge
Fe
Mo
Ni
Pd
Pt
Si
Ag
Ta
Ti
W
Zr
Density
g/cc
2.70
7.20
8.93
5.35
19.32
17.64
7.86
10.20
8.91
12.00
21.40
2.32
10.50
16.60
4.50
19.30
6.51
Z-Ratio
1.080
0.305
0.437
0.516
0.381
0.301
0.349
0.257
0.331
0.357
0.245
0.712
0.529
0.262
0.628
0.163
0.600
Melt Point °C
°C
660
1890
1083
937
1062
1535
2610
1453
1550
1769
1410
961
2996
1675
3410
1852
Page 19
Document1
vapor pressure @ temp °C
1.00E-08
1.00E-06
1.00E-04
°C
°C
°C
677
821
1010
837
977
1157
727
857
1017
812
957
1167
807
947
1132
858
1592
927
842
1292
992
847
1960
1067
2117
1477
998
1822
1072
992
1492
1147
958
2240
1235
2407
1702
1180
2117
1262
1192
1747
1337
1105
2590
1453
2757
1987
Page 20
Document1