Case Study - Laboratory Instrumentation for Atomic Level Deposition (ALD)
Application and Industry
Laboratory Instrumentation for a revolutionary Atomic Level Deposition, (ALD) process that is now being adopted for mainstream nanotechnology semiconductor industry.
Challenges
Two founders from Harvard approached Innovent about manufacturing prototype tools to demonstrate proof-of-concept of a revolutionary ALD process for the semiconductor industry. They were in search of a business partner who had the capability to take their proof-of-concept laboratory tool and turn it into a reproducible and reliable electromechanical manufactured product.
Solutions
Once a business plan was agreed on, Innovent engineers set to work driving a DFM project using only
The Importance of Specifying Gas Flow Range on a Mass Flow Controller
The Full Scale (FS) Range and Gas on a Mass Flow Controller (MFC) directly correlates to the transmitted output (analog or digital) of the device. In an analog device, the maximum output value (such as 5 vdc or 20 mA) will be equivalent to the FS value. The accuracy of most MFCs is a function of this FS Range.
Emmissivity Compensation and the Importance of Pyrometers
If you are measuring the temperature of a static surface, whether or not its temperature is changing, all is good. But what happens when you are changing the surface and its emissivity is also changing? Your pyrometer inaccuracy can increase substantially.
Many customers continue to rely on oil-sealed rotary vane pumps for many applications. They often struggle with issues related to vacuum oil, including oil leaks, dealing with used oil after oil changes, and oil back-streaming issues that impact their production process. Our partners at Trillium offer some low cost dry pump upgrades that are perfect for customers who want to eliminate the problems mentioned above but don’t want to spend $15-$30K for a new dry pumping system. If you would be interested in upgrading, and you have 3 phase power and process cooling water available at your facility, please reach out to IES for more information.
Problem
Oil back-steaming
Oil leaks
Used oil waste stream
Noise
Solution
Upgrade with Trillium and IES.
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Magnetron sputtering is a form of deposition technology that employs a gaseous plasma and kinetic energy to create a flux of ‘sputtered’ material used to coat surfaces under vacuum. The high-energy ions present in a magnetron sputtering plasma bombard the surface of the target (source material) and liberated atoms by the sputtering process to create this vapour cloud. The vapour moves through the vacuum area, depositing onto a substrate surface to create a thin film covering.
Standard Sputtering Processes
Standard sputter deposition processes (non-magnetically enhanced) involve a chamber evacuated to a high vacuum to decrease the partial pressure of background gases. Once the base pressure has been attained, a sputtering gas such as argon is introduced into the chamber and a pressure control system is employed to regulate the total pressure. [1]
A high negative voltage (-0.5 to -3 kV) is applied to the cathode
Applied Thermal Control (ATC) Recirculating Chillers and Mass Spectrometry
Recirculating chillers are commonly used in mass spectrometry laboratories to provide precise and stable cooling for various components of the mass spectrometer. These chillers offer a continuous flow of temperature-controlled heat transfer fluid, typically water or a water-glycol mixture, to remove heat generated by the instrument.
It is worth noting that the specific configuration and requirements of recirculating chillers can vary depending on the mass spectrometer model, laboratory setup, and cooling needs. Manufacturers of mass spectrometry instruments often provide recommendations and compatible options for recirculating chillers to ensure optimal cooling for their systems.
Using recirculating chillers in mass spectrometry offers several advantages:
DuPont™ Kalrez® perfluoroelastomer parts have been used successfully in highly aggressive sealing environments for over 40 years. Kalrez® parts have excellent chemical and thermal stability and have been specially formulated and processed to meet the unique requirements of wafer processing environments. DuPont offers molded O-Rings and custom seals using a series of specialty products and ultrapure processing for the semiconductor industry. Ultrapure processing is standard for all semiconductor product grades.
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Quadrupole mass spectrometry is used extensively in the electronics sector to assess the functionality of surface materials and the performance of thin film structures. The surface interface characteristics of these materials are integral in optimizing the macrostructural properties of an optoelectronic device. Topographical defects in the glass coating of an organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell could impact the light-attenuation capabilities of junctions in the electronic structure, for example. Small variations in an optical coating could cause light to reflect rather than propagate through the substrate and be converted into electricity.
How to analyze the top nano layers of a material is a key question for manufacturers of electronic devices as their functionalities continue to grow more complex. Novel solar cells comprised of multi-junction nanocrystals are already beginning to display enhanced solar energy conversion over conventional p-n junction silicon OPVs. However, these
This is a re-post of an article authored by Dr. Doug Baker of Teledyne Hastings Instruments, posted November 2, 2020.
Thermal Mass Flow Instruments
Thermal mass flow instruments provide an easy way to quickly and accurately measure gas flow. And in some cases, a mass flow instrument may be calibrated for one gas, but then you may want to use the instrument in another gas. This article will discuss how to use GCFs (Gas Conversion Factors) when using flow instruments with different gases.
Before we get into GCFs, let’s quickly review the operation of an electronic thermal mass flow sensor. Below is a diagram of the Teledyne Hastings 200 Series flow sensor. Gas flows through a capillary tube which is heated in the middle to a temperature of approximately 130°C. Two thermocouples, one upstream (TC-1) and one downstream (TC-2), measure the temperature. The temperature difference between the two thermocouples
If you use or specify high vacuum components, then you are probably very familiar with some or all of these terms: ANSI, CF, ISO, KF, LF, NW, QF ... they have become part of our vernacular; but what do they mean and how are they used?
Here is a quick overview with basic descriptions:
ANSI
ANSI: American National Standards Institute. These are 150 pound series flanges commonly made to fit tubes ranging from 1.5” to 12” OD. One flange will contain a machined o-ring groove and the other is smooth, and the seal is made by compressing the two flanges together with bolts. ANSI took over this standard from ASA (American Steamfitters Association). ASA/ANSI flanges have been largely displaced by ISO-LF flanges. See below descriptions for ISO and LF.
CF
CF: ConFlat® which is a trade-mark of Varian Vacuum (now owned by Agilent). This is a flange system
