ALD SOPPage 1 of 6

Revision 1-080410

ALD SOP

  1. Scope
  2. This document provides operating procedures and requirements to deposit Aluminum Oxide films with the Cambridge nanotech Fiji Atomic Layer Deposition system.
  3. Table of Contents

Figure 1, Purge Valve

Figure 2, ALD Control Screen

Figure 3, Recipe List

  1. Reference Documents
  2. Referenced within this Document
  3. None
  4. External Documents
  5. None
  6. Equipment and/or Materials
  7. Fiji F200 ALD system
  8. Wafer/Sample
  9. Research Grade Argon
  10. Research Grade Oxygen
  11. Research Grade Nitrogen
  12. DI Water
  13. Trimethylaluminum (TMA)
  14. Substrate Carrier
  15. Substrate Carrier Loading Arm
  16. Safety
  17. Follow all Nanofab safety procedures.
  18. During operation parts of the ALD become VERY warm.
  19. Do NOT touch the substrate carrier with your hands as it WILL be HOT.
  20. TMA is a pyrophoric chemical and burns when exposed to air.
  21. Setup Procedures
  22. Record Information on Log Sheet
  23. Record all requested setup and process information on the log sheet.
  24. Purge Chamber
  25. Turn on the load chamber purge valve. See Figure 1, Purge Valve.

NOTE:This valve is either open or closed. It does not control the flow rate of purge gas.

6.3Warm up the ALD

6.3.1Right click in the recipe steps table. See Figure 2, ALD Control Screen.

6.3.2Click on Load recipe in the drop down menu. See Figure 2.

6.3.3Choose the recipeALDStartUp. See Figure 3.

6.3.4Make sure that the system is pumped down by verifying that the Pump/Vent button says VENT. See Figure 2.

6.3.5Press Start to run the recipe. See Figure 2.

6.3.6Click OK in the recipe start confirmation window.

6.3.7Wait about 2 hours for the ALD to warm up.

  1. Film Deposition Procedures
  2. Load Recipe
  3. Right click in the recipe steps table. This will bring up an options menu.
  4. Click on Load recipe. See Figure 2.
  5. Load the recipe you would like to use. See Figure 3.
  6. Current recipes are:
  7. Thermal AL2O3
  8. Plasma AL2O3
  9. Select the desired recipe and click OK.
  10. Load Wafer
  11. Press the Pump/Vent button to vent the system. See Figure 2.The button will change to PUMP.

NOTE:The process chamber load door will open automatically when it reaches atmospheric pressure.

7.2.2Open the process chamber door.

7.2.3Use the loading wand to remove the wafer chuck from the chamber.

7.2.3.1Slide the curved tips of the loading wand underneath the clips.

7.2.3.2Lift up and allow the curved tips to engage the clips.

7.2.3.3Slide the wafer chuck out of the process chamber.

7.2.4Place the chuck on the provided quartz plate.

7.2.5Place the wafer in the center of the wafer chuck.

7.2.6Use the loading wand to return the wafer chuck to the process chamber.

7.2.7Close and hold the process chamber door.

7.2.8Press the Pump/Vent button to pump down the system. The button will now change to VENT.

7.3Run the Process

7.3.1If the recipe has not already been loaded, see 7.1

7.3.2Set the desired film thickness.

7.3.2.1Find the Loop command.

7.3.3Press the Start button.

7.3.4Click OK in the recipe start confirmation window to begin the process.

7.4Unload Wafer

7.4.1Follow the procedure in 7.2 to unload the wafer.

7.5Place ALD in Standby

7.5.1Right click in the recipe steps table, choose Load recipe from the drop down menu.

7.5.2Choose the recipe ALDStandBy.

7.5.3Click OK.

7.5.4Press START to run the program.

7.5.5Click OK in the recipe start confirmation window.

7.5.6Close the purge valve. See Figure 1.

  1. Process Notes
  2. Typical Film Characteristics
  3. Process Summary
  4. Revision History

Rev / Date / Originator / Description of Changes
1 / 04Aug2010 / Sam Bell