Load Locks
Process modules are the vacuum chambers in which deposition processes like sputtering, electron beam evaporation, or thermal evaporation take place. Load locks, in contrast, are secondary vacuum chambers that are connected to a process module, separated by a gate valve, and have their own high vacuum pump down and vent control.
They can be used to house substrate and/or mask carriers and cassettes. The substrates are mounted onto the substrate carrier and loaded into the load-lock parking station. The locations of the substrate carriers and the mask frames are assigned specific identifiers in the parking station, which are then input into Aeres® and are controlled from the Aeres® interface from there onwards.
They can be used to house substrate and/or mask carriers and cassettes.
- The substrates are mounted onto the substrate carrier and loaded into the load-lock parking station.
- The locations of the substrate carriers and the mask frames are assigned specific identifiers in the parking station, which are then input into Aeres® and are controlled from the Aeres® interface from there onwards.
The substrate carriers or substrate carrier-mask frame combinations are transferred in and out of the processing module (without the need to vent it) using a transfer arm through the gate valve opening.
On being commanded by the user through the Aeres® control software:
- The automated transfer arm selects the specific substrate carrier with or without the mask frame, moves it into the process cell and places/latches it onto the stage for the deposition process.
Once the process is completed, the transfer arm picks up the carrier back into the load-lock cell, followed by the closure of the gate valve.
This mechanism allows the user to collect the finished product from the load-lock module without venting the processing module. A load-lock module, therefore, allows the user to reduce the processing times while simultaneously not exposing the process module to atmospheric contamination. Angstrom Engineering® has designed, built and tested load locks of many sizes and unique purposes.
- Load locks can complement systems with a single process module, allowing users to carry out their processes without as much need to open the process chamber.
- This provides more reliable performance and repeatability to the process while enhancing the longevity of the system components in general.
Single chamber process module with
simple load lock.
Dual chamber process modules with mask/sample casette load lock.
Nebula Cluster with multiple process modules and multiple load lock modules
Dr. Quyen Nguyen
University of California Santa Barbara
We have had an Amod thermal evaporator from Angstrom Engineering® for almost 13 years. The system has two Luxel RADAK sources for organic materials deposition and two thermal resistive sources for metal deposition. This system has been the main workhorse in our group. We use the system for several projects including organic light emitting diodes, field effect transistors, organic solar cells, and charge transport in organic semiconducting materials.
We have several labs with over $3,000,000.00 of equipment from 30+ vendors and Angstrom Engineering® has the best customer service. I like the fact that they are willing to work with customers to meet their needs. The system is very easy to use. I have two second year undergraduates using the system after working in our lab for less than a year.