Cluster PECVD tool CT150

Cluster tool for Research and Development

HHV offers flexible, high performance multi chamber cluster tool for precise control of processes suitable for research and development in MEMS/NEMS, Solid State Lighting, Renewable Energy, Nano Electronics, Photonics.

HHV has designed and developed a cluster type thin film deposition system for R&D purpose. It is compact, versatile, easy to operate, full of safety features, programmable, easy to maintain and most important of all, affordable. The system comprises of one load lock chamber and multiple process chambers (PECVD and PVD)  arranged in a circle with a transfer chamber at the centre.

All the subsystems involving gas control, pumping, evacuation, heating etc. are housed below with easy access via panel doors.  Only the turbo pump for achieving higher vacuum is placed above the central exchange chamber. The whole system occupies only a 10ft by 10ft space.

The sequence of operations is fairly simple. The substrate is place   annually in the load lock chamber which is then sealed. After the system has been evacuated to the desired vacuum using rotary pumps, the substrate carrier is sent, using a magnetic arm, to the central transfer chamber from where it is transferred to the designated process chamber.

The process chamber has the necessary RF (Radio Frequency) heating and gas inlet valves to facilitate deposition of the thin SPV film on the substrate. The substrate is held in the carrier with its face down so that any loose deposit just falls down.  After the deposition process is completed, the substrate carrier can be transferred, via the central transfer chamber, to another process chamber for some more deposition or back to the load lock chamber for removal. The entire operation is monitored and controlled from a PC loaded with the necessary SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) software.

Since the gases used, such as silane, can form explosive mixtures with oxygen, safety features involving evacuation, sealing, oxygen detection, stepwise controls etc. have been built into the system. All the equipment is made from stainless steel so that corrosion failures are avoided.