BATP9504: Vacuum Systems and
Thin Film Technology

NEW: Updated lecture information Here

Course Description

The Niagara College Cleanroom facility as seen during a lab session in 2006 in which students are loading sources in our four-source Bendix thermal evaporator. This is an exceptionally practical course with laboratory work comprising an important part in which students can apply concepts learned in the classroom. This is the essence of our programs: the application of theory to real-world problems and structures. Labs are completed in small groups in two primary labs: In the Spectroscopy laboratory (V14A) which features two custom-built turbomolecular vacuum systems for the processing of gas discharge and laser tubes and mass spectroscopy, and in the class-1000 cleanroom facility seen here where thin-film structures such as dielectric filters and mirrors are fabricated. Unique in an undergrad environment, our cleanroom boasts:

• The Bendix, a basic four-source thermal diffusion-pumped evaporator with manual controls
• The 'Fridge', a new (in 2006) Lesker PVD-75 three-target turbomolecular sputtering system with touchscreen controls
• 'Sparky', new for 2007, a six-pocket CHA cryopumped eBeam system

BATP9401 Laser Systems

This course is offered as part of the Bachelor of Applied Technology (4 year) Degree program at Niagara College and utilizes the Niagara College Microelectronics Manufacturing Cleanroom Facility.

Evaluation ...

• Two midterm examinations valued at 25% each
• Labs and assignments combined for a total of 50%

• Two midterm examinations valued at 12.5% each


• One final examination valued at 25%


• Labs and assignments combined for a total of 50%

Check your marks and registration status here (Loaded 2007/09/17)

Term Test #1 is on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007 (primarily on vacuum physics and pump/gauge technology)
Term Test #2 is on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007 (primarily on deposition technology and techniques, and optical structures)

The Physics of Gases and Vacuum Systems

* The fundamental nature of gases and gas flow
* Gas Laws (e.g. Boyles Law) and applications
* The concept of vapour pressure and how it applies to gases, liquids, and solids
* The concept of conductance in a vacuum system
* Why a high vacuum is required (i.e. Mean Free Path)
* Purity in vacuum systems (including residual gas analysis)
* Use optical and mass spectroscopy techniques to analyze gas discharges to determine contaminants in a system
* Evaluate the electrical characteristics of a gas discharge (e.g. E/p ratio and Paschen curve)

* Operational principles of various mechanical pumps as well as limitations
* Operation of high vacuum pumps such as oil diffusion pumps
* Backstreaming and cryotrapping of diffusion pumps
* Principles of UHV pumps such as ion and getter pumps
* Measuring vacuum pressures using various gauges (e.g. pirani, ion, etc.)
* Understand the principles of operation of a mass spectrometer
* Use a mass spectrometer to analyze gas samples for isotope concentration
* Design and operate vacuum systems using turbomolecular and diffusion pumps properly and safely
* Construction of vacuum systems including materials and couplings
* Identify sources of contamination and leaks in a typical vacuum system

* Thermal (Resistive Heating) Evaporation Techniques (filaments, baskets, and boats)
* E-Beam Techniques and applications to optical materials
* Sputtering Techniques
* Calculating thickness using Point-Source Load Calculations from Nomograph
* Predict coating thickness variations based on chamber geometry
* Crystal Thickness Monitoring (In-Process)
* Operating a vacuum coating system

* Materials available for optics (reflectors, dielectrics)
* Physical principles of optical filters and coatings (e.g. phase-change at boundaries, interference, thin-film equations)
* Design and fabricate a multilayer thin-film structure in the lab using thermal and sputtering deposition systems.
* Analyze a thin-film optical device using spectroscopic techniques and surface profilometers
* Relate results to the control of process variables

Mon  Oct 15: Basics of thermal evaporation (process, geometry/R2 law, consistency)
             (Lab: Group B laser reprocessing)
Tues Oct 16: Midterm #1
Thur Oct 18: Take-up midterm, Try-on 'bunny suits', Discuss cleanroom protocol

Mon  Oct 22: Pre-Lab Basic thermal deposition processes: thickness calc (nomograph), crystal monitor, shuttering
             (Lab: Both groups Thermal deposition intro)
Tues Oct 23: Optical structures I (A/R) and II (MDM)
Thur Oct 24: Optical structures (continued) and use of FilmStar for modelling MDM filters

Mon  Oct 29: Pre-Lab review of FilmStar models, Optical structures III (V-coatings)
             (Lab: Group A Thermal MDM filters)
Tues Oct 30: Finish structures III, Optical structures IV (dielectric mirrors, etc)
             (LAB GROUP A: RE-DO LAB 1:30-3:30)
Thur Nov 1:  Group A: Analysis in V14A

Mon  Nov 5:  eBeam systems
             (Lab: Group B Thermal MDM filters)
Tues Nov 6:  eBeam systems - Part II
Thur Nov 8:  Group B: Analysis in V14A

Mon  Nov 12: Sputtering systems, mass-flow gas control
             (Lab: Group A eBeam dielectric mirrors)
             Lab group A: lab #4 due
Tues Nov 13: Electronic coatings and structures
Thur Nov 14: Finish materials, Review for midterm #2

Mon  Nov 19: Review for midterm #2
             (Lab: Group B eBeam dielectric mirrors)
             Lab group B: lab #4 due
             Lab group A: lab #5 due
Tues Nov 20: Midterm #2
Thur Nov 22: Return Midterm #2

Mon  Nov 26: (Lab: Both groups Sputtering lab - V coatings)
             Lab group B: lab #5 due

Mon  Dec 3:  (Lab: Both groups SEM lab - no report required) 
             Both lab groups: Lab #6 due

Course Notes and Downloads

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for laboratory equipment including gas pumping systems, spectroscopy equipment, and deposition systems including the thermal (Bendix) and sputtering (PVD) systems used in this course.
• PHTN1432 Vacuum Technology course for the TN/TY programs. Features a wealth of course notes and links.
• Vacuum Notes: Pressure Reduction required for lab #3.
• Center for Applied Microtechnology at the University of Washington which features a cleanroom like ours. Specific pages of interest:
• Process Tutorials including vacuum systems and cleanroom operations
• CVC Vacuum Evap System standard operating procedures. This machine is similar to our CVC (Bendix) evaporator.
• Kurt J. Lesker Company company site containing tutorials on Vacuum Basics including RGAs (Technical Info -> Vacuum Basics). Specific pages of interest:
• Vacuum Technology Fundamentals basic physics of gases, behaviour of vacuum systems (e.g. outgassing), and an excellent tutorial on how RGAs work and how results are interpreted. Required reading.
• Thin Film Applet allowing the exploration of how an antireflective coating works.
• FilmStar (Demo Version) as required for several deposition labs. Password-protected ZIP and password-protected install ... both passwords will be given in class (FTG has given permission to distribute to students in our program rather than have each go to FTG separately).
• MDM Filter Design a base filter-design file (.faw) to start the design of Lab #5. Ensure Winfilm is in archive mode and open this file. Edit and Optimize layers as required.
• Pre-Load Nomograph for determining the approximate filament load before starting a deposition.
• Optical Structures 1 Basic Antireflective Coatings.
• Optical Structures 2 MDM Filters.
• Optical Structures 3 V-Coatings.
• Optical Structures 4 Dielectric Reflectors.

In order to optimize learning in a small-group environment, the class will be split into two groups which will perform lab experiments on alternating weeks.

Lab1 - Gas Discharge Tubes
Using a turbomolecular high-vacuum system gas discharge tubes will be pumped. The effects of gas pressure on the output spectrum of the discharge will be observed, optical evidence of impurity gases in the line spectrum of a discharge will be analyzed, and electrical characteristics of a gas discharge will be examined.
Full Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Sept. 10, 2007, Group B on Sept. 17, 2007
Due: Group A on Sept. 24, Group B on Oct. 1 at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 2A - Mass Spectroscopy
Gas samples will be analyzed for isotopic purity using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. In addition to pure gases such as neon and carbon dioxide, air will be analyzed. Runs concurrently with Lab #2B
Condensed Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Sept. 24, 2007, Group B on Oct 1, 2007
Due: Group A on Oct. 1, Group B on Oct. 9 (Tues) at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 2B - Gauge Technology
The performance of various roughing gauges will be investigated for accuracy over a given range and the effect of gas composition on gauge accuracy will be investigated. Runs concurrently with Lab #2A
Condensed Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Oct. 1, 2007, Group B on Sept. 24, 2007
Due: Group A on Oct. 9 (Tues), Group B on Oct. 1 at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 3 - Processing a gas laser tube Updated 2007/10/08
Students will use a high-vacuum system (including turbomolecular pump and RGA) to evacuate and reprocess a helium-neon gas laser tube. Processing includes outgassing the tube by thermal and gas flushing methods. Students will compute the optimal theoretical gas mixture and pressure and compare this to the optimal gas mix determined in the lab. Once optimized, the tube will be sealed and monitored for long-term stability (i.e. the evolution-of and effects of residual gases in the tube such as trapped oxygen will be observed). Residual gas analysis (mass spectroscopy) will be used to show how gases evolve as the laser operates.
Condensed Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Oct. 9, 2007 (NOTE SPECIAL DATE), Group B on Oct. 15, 2007
Due: Group A on Oct. 15, Group B on Oct. 22 at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 4 - Basic Thin Film Techniques: Thermal Evaporation Deposition
Students will operate a high-vacuum thermal deposition system to deposit a thin-film of aluminum onto glass substrates. During this lab students will be exposed to the operating principles of high-vacuum systems, practice working in a class-1000 cleanroom environment, gain experience controlling deposition rate by regulating filament current, and utilize in-process quartz crystal thickness monitoring to assure a proper film thickness.
No Lab Report Required - this will be combined with lab 5
Labs: BOTH groups will perform this introductory lab together on Oct. 22

Lab 5 - Thin Film Structures 1: Dielectric Filters
Students will design then fabricate a simple multilayer MDM dielectric filter using the high-vacuum thermal deposition system. Filters will be analyzed spectroscopically (using the Lambda-3B) and results compared to those expected based on chamber geometry.
Full Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Oct. 29, 2007, Group B on Nov. 5, 2007
Due: Group A on Nov. 12, Group B on Nov. 19 at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 6 - Thin Film Structures 2: Dielectric Mirrors
Students will design then fabricate a multilayer dielectric mirror on an eBeam deposition system.
Condensed Lab Report Required
Labs: Group A on Nov. 12, 2007, Group B on Nov. 19, 2007
Due: Group A on Nov. 19, Group B on Nov. 26 at the beginning of the lab period

Lab 7 - Advanced A/R Coatings
Students will design and fabricate a multi-layer antireflective V coating which uses Silicon Monoxide (SiO) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO). The coating will be fabricated using the PVD-75 three-target sputtering system and the structure will be analyzed spectroscopically. Performance of the coating will be compared to a theoretical model.
Condensed Lab Report Required
Labs: BOTH groups will perform this lab together on Nov. 26, 2007
Due: Both groups at the beginning of the lab period on Dec. 3

Lab 8 - Metrology
Films deposited during the previous labs in this course will be analyzed using our Hitachi Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to analyze surface quality (voids, as expected from an unheated substrate). The use of a Stylus Profilometer (DekTak) will also be demonstrated in the lab.
No Lab Report Required
Labs: BOTH groups will perform this lab together on Dec. 3

Overdue labs due, at absolute latest, by Dec. 10 at 8:30 a.m. (despite the fact the are worth zero on that date)

Contacts:

For this specific course ...
Professor Mark Csele
Telephone (905) 735-2211 x.7629
E-Mail: (Be sure to include 'Photonics' in the subject line to avoid deletion by an anti-spam filter)
URL: http://technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele

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