A wide range of deposition tools are available, capable of depositing metals, dielectrics and semiconductors with a high degree of flexibility and with high cleanliness & purity available.

Metal

• SVS 8 pocket electron beam evaporator. Metal layers formed by evaporation of source materials and deposition onto the sample surface.
  • Accepts wafers up to 150mm (6").
  • Cleanliness: excellent. Load-lock chamber pumped by turbomolecular pump and process chamber pumped by cryopump to achieve base pressure <8×10^-8 mbar.
  • Standard film thickness: 10nm-1µm.
  • Standard metals: Ni, Al, Ti, Cr, Au, Ag, Mo. Other metals, including Pt, Pd, W & Nb, available on request. Polycrystalline semiconductors, including Si & Ge, available on request.
  • Extended capability: ion beam milling (for sample surface preparation), sample stage rocking (for sidewall coverage).
  • Workhorse tool, offering highly automated processes with a wide range of metals. Multi-layer stacks available.
  • Example applications: semiconductor contacts, sample electrodes.

• Mantis Deposition sputter and PVD system. Flexible bespoke platform, incorporating sputter, thermal evaporation and e-beam evaporation sources.
  • Accepts wafers up to 150mm (6").
  • Cleanliness: good. Process chamber pumped by turbomolecular pump to achieve base pressure <5×10^-7 mbar.
  • Standard film thickness: 10nm-1µm.
  • Standard metals: Ni, Al, Ti, Mo, W. Other metals, including NiCr & Au, available on request. Polycrystalline semiconductors, including SiC, available on request.
  • Extended capability: heated sample stage, reactive sputtering.
  • Specialist tool, offering flexibility for non-standard processes.
  • Example applications: sample electrodes, surface coatings.

• Moorfield NanoPVD-S10A sputterer system. Uses ion bombardment of targets to sputter material towards the sample for deposition of metal or compound thin films.
  • Accepts wafers up to 100mm (4").
  • Cleanliness: good. Process chamber pumped by turbomolecular pump to achieve base pressure <5×10^-7 mbar.
  • Standard film thickness: 10nm-1µm.
  • Standard metals: Pt, Au, NiCr. Other metals, including Ti, Cr, Cu, Ag, Mn, Co & Nb, available on request.
  • Extended capability: co-sputtering, reactive sputtering.
  • Offers flexibility in accepted sample materials & non-standard processes
  • Example applications: sample electrodes.

Dielectric

• Ultratech Fiji plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) system. Ultra-fine deposition control for ultra-thin films.
  • Accepts wafers up to 200mm (8").
  • Cleanliness: highest. Turbomolecular process pump, sample load-lock, dedicated Ar gas supply, tool only used for samples cleaned with acid processes on-site.
  • Standard film thickness: 1nm-100nm.
  • Standard precursors: Al, Si, Hf. Other precursors, including Zn & Ti, available on request.
  • Standard co-reagents: H₂O, O₂ plasma, O₃, N₂ plasma.
  • Thermal ALD processes with H₂O for sensitive samples. Plasma ALD processes with O₂, N₂, H₂ & Ar for flexibility and in-situ cleaning. Remote plasma configuration preserves surface integrity.
  • Example applications: semiconductor gate dielectrics, transparent conducting oxides.

• Tetreon (Thermco) low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) system. Uses TEOS (tetraethyl orthosilicate) chemistry to deposit thick, low-stress films of SiO₂.
  • Accepts wafers up to 150mm (6").
  • Cleanliness: excellent. Turbomolecular process pump ensures low process pressure and minimises contamination.
  • Standard film thickness: 10nm-4µm.
  • Standard precursor: tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) for SiO₂.
  • Low pressure system gives low contamination and high purity. Capable of taking sample cassettes, in addition to small research samples.
  • Example applications: surface passivation, microstructure encapsulation.

• SVS 8 pocket electron beam evaporator. Thin film layers of dielectrics formed by evaporation of source materials and deposition onto the sample surface.
  • Accepts wafers up to 150mm (6").
  • Cleanliness: excellent. Load-lock chamber pumped by turbomolecular pump and process chamber pumped by cryopump to achieve base pressure <8×10^-8 mbar.
  • Standard film thickness: 10nm-500nm.
  • Standard dielectrics: Al₂O₃, SiO₂. Other dielectrics, including MgO, available on request.
  • Extended capability: ion beam milling (for sample surface preparation), sample stage rocking (for sidewall coverage).
  • Workhorse tool, offering highly automated processes with a wide range of dielectrics. Multi-layer stacks available.
  • Example applications: dielectric Bragg mirrors, etch masks.