The UHV system is a magnetron sputtering system with a background pressure in the 10e-10 mbar range and a deposition pressure of 1e-3 to 1e-2 mbar. It is equipped with a loadlock that holds 6 15×15 mm substrates. The substrate is transferred to and from the chamber using 2 linear manipulators and a wobble stick. The substrate can be tilted towards 3 from the 4 2“ magnetron sources. The system can be used with DC and RF power supplies. Sputtering gas is Ar, the loadlock is also connected to N₂ and O₂ for oxidation. Substrate temperature is RT.

Check the logbook to see if you are interfering with someone else. Fill in your name, date and time in the logbook before you start.

1. Wear powder free gloves!
2. Clean the substrates with demi-water (if necessary), then acetone and finally IPA
3. Glue the substrates with a small amount of silver paste on the sample holders. Wait 10 to 20 mins. for the silver paste to dry
4. Turn off the UHV chamber and loadloack pressure gauges (IG1 and IG2 respectively, you can toggle between the two readings) before venting the loadlock
5. Check if the gate valve between the UHV chamber and the loadlock is closed before venting the loadlock
6. In order to vent the loadlock, close the valve (large black knob) of the rotary pump then switch off the turbo pump of the loadlock. Wait 1 minute and then open the N₂ valve (on the gas-panel) slowly (eg: short bursts and listen to the turbopump until it has slowed down).
7. When the turbo has stopped, completely vent and open the loadlock
8. Put the sample holders in the loadlock with the long side towards you. Always wear gloves! You can use long metal tweezers to hold the lip of the sample holder and put in the sample.
9. Close the loadlock
10. Close the N₂ valve

1. Open the valve to the rotary pump. (Close N₂ if not done yet)
2. When the pressure on B (the intermediate pressure gauge of the loadlock) reaches 1e-1 mBar, switch on the loadlock turbo pump
3. When the pressure on B reaches 5e-2 mBar, turn on IG2. The Heat of IG2 will helps to reach lower pressure. At about 10 mins after turning on IG2 the pressure should be around 5e-4 mBar.
4. Pump until the base pressure in the loadlock (~5×10-8 mbar) has been reached before starting the sputtering (typically 12 to 24 hours)

Pre-sputtering

1. Fill in the log book.
2. Turn on the cooling water
3. Take care that the sources that you are going to use are connected to the power supplies
4. Switch on the rack of the power supplies
5. Switch the IG1 pressure gauge off before you let in the Argon (Ar) gas! Otherwise you will destroy it
6. Open the shutter of the source that you are going to use and make sure that all the other shutters are closed
7. Make sure the needle valve behind the gas-panel is closed!
8. Close partially the valve to the UHV turbo pump by quickly setting the valve conductance to approximately 1%
9. Turn on the pressure gauge which will be used to monitor the Argon pressure in the chamber.
10. Open the green Ar valve on the gas-panel
11. Adjust the Ar pressure with the valve conductance and/or with the needle valve (small knob beside the Ar valve) until the pressure gauge reads the desired Ar pressure (typically 2.5×10^-3 to 6.0x10^-3 mbar). The pressure gauge is located on the rack and is the left topmost display
12. Put the setpoint on the power supply to the required sputtering current (mA)
13. Close the window shutters (there are two, the one with the lamp and another one at the front of the system)
14. Start presputtering by turning on the power supply. Presputter for ~ 3 to 10 mins (depending on time since it was last used). all the targets you intend to use for the sputter run
15. When you finished with presputtering turn off the power supply/supplies

Loading

1. Open the gate valve between the loadlock and the chamber (you will see the pressure decreasing a little, because also the loadlock turbo pump is now pumping the chamber)
2. Open the Window Shutters.
3. Use the manipulator system of the loadlock to insert the substrates in the UHV
4. Use the manipulator of the substrate holder to approach the latter to the center of the UHV chamber
5. Use the wobble stick to position the substrates on the holder. It's convenient to position the substrate holder in a way that it's reachable by the wobble stick from the front
6. Use the manipulator of the loadlock to move the other substrates back into the loadlock. Be aware to move it to the very end!
7. Close the gate valve between the chamber and the loadlock. The pressure should come back up to the original pressure, if not take care of reestablishing the correct Ar pressure again
8. Move the substrate holder until the substrate is underneath the center of the targets.

Sputtering

1. Tilt the subtrate holder if you use the front or back target (+45 or -45 degrees).
2. Close the Window Shutters.
3. Check that you have the right Ar-Pressure, Current Setpoint, tilt angle, the shutter of the target is open, and that you know the sputter duration.
4. When you have sputtered the thickness that you want (see thickness calibrations) turn off the power supply
5. For multiple layers, repeat the required steps but remember to close the shutters of the unused targets every time!

Finishing

1. Close the shutters of all the targets and open the Window Shutters
2. Open again the gate valve between the loadlock and the UHV chamber and position the loadlock manipulator in the UHV chamber
3. Use the wobble stick to put the sample back on the loadlock holder (be careful not to scratch the film against the loadlock holder)
4. Return the manipulator in the loadlock. Close the gate valve between the chamber and the loadlock
5. Close the Ar valve on the gas-panel fully
6. Turn off the pressure gauge which was used to monitor the Ar-pressure.
7. Open the valve of the turbo pump 100%.
8. Open the needle valve to let the Argon out.
9. Close Window Shutters
10. Switch off the rack of the power supplies
11. Switch off the cooling water
12. Vent the loadlock as described above in order to remove your samples
13. Pump down the loadlock again after use to prevent adsorption.
14. Fill in the logbook with all required information.

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.

RECENT RATES

Old Rates

The following materials are available

• Outer chamber circumference: 150cm
• Chamber radius: 23cm
• CF100KE standoff: 8cm
• CF100KE-center: 31cm
• Max in-chamber source length (8.9cm diameter source cover): 23-10.74=12.26cm
• Max source length: 20.26cm
• Safe KE-target source length: 16.26cm

• Target diameter 3x 2 inch, 1x 1.5 inch
• Target thickness 2-3mm

• The digital log sheet: uhvlogfile.doc
• The digital maintenance sheet: uhvmaintenance.doc