Sigma Sqc 122C Users Information Guide G

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SQC-122c

Thin Film Deposition Controller

User’s Guide

Version 2.0

Sigma

instruments

Safety Information

Read this manual before installing, operating, or servicing equipment. Do not install

substitute parts, or perform any unauthorized modification of the product. Return the

product to Sigma Instruments for service and repair to ensure that safety features are

maintained.

Safety Symbols

WARNING: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, or condition that could

possibly cause bodily injury or death.

CAUTION: Calls attention to a procedure, practice, or condition that could

possibly cause damage to equipment or permanent loss of data.

Refer to all manual Warning or Caution information before using this product

to avoid personal injury or equipment damage.

Hazardous voltages may be present.

Earth ground symbol.

Chassis ground symbol.

Equipotential ground symbol.

Warranty Information

This Sigma Instruments product is warranted against defects in material and

workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of shipment, when used in accordance

with the instructions in this manual. During the warranty period, Sigma Instruments will,

at its option, either repair or replace products that prove to be defective.

Limitation of Warranty

Defects from, or repairs necessitated by, misuse or alteration of the product, or any

cause other than defective materials or workmanship are not covered by this warranty.

NO OTHER WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT

LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS

FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL SIGMA

INSTRUMENTS BE LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES

RESULTING FROM A BREACH OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, OR OTHERWISE.

Return Policy

The purchaser may return this product in new condition within 30 days after shipment

for any reason. In case of return, purchaser is liable and responsible for all freight

charges in both directions.

Sigma Instruments

120 Commerce Drive, Unit 1

Fort Collins, CO 80524 USA

970-416-9660

970-416-9330 (fax)

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1.0 Introduction................................................................................................1-1

1.1 Thin Film Process Overview........................................................................1-1

1.2 System Connections...................................................................................1-2

1.3 Front Panel................................................................................................1-3

1.4 Rear Panel ................................................................................................1-4

1.5 Installation.................................................................................................1-5

1.6 Process Setup ...........................................................................................1-6

1.7 Depositing a Film .......................................................................................1-8

Chapter 2 Operation

2.0 Introduction................................................................................................2-1

2.1 Definitions..................................................................................................2-1

2.2 Defining a Film...........................................................................................2-1

2.3 Defining a Process.....................................................................................2-5

2.4 Sensor Setup.............................................................................................2-7

2.5 Source Setup.............................................................................................2-10

2.6 Running a Process.....................................................................................2-11

2.7 Loop Tuning...............................................................................................2-15

2.8 Troubleshooting .........................................................................................2-17

Chapter 3 Menus

3.0 Introduction................................................................................................3-1

3.1 Main Menu.................................................................................................3-2

3.2 Next Menus ...............................................................................................3-4

3.3 Quick Setup Menu......................................................................................3-5

3.4 Process Menus ..........................................................................................3-7

3.5 Film Menus................................................................................................3-11

3.6 System Parameters Menu...........................................................................3-18

3.7 I/O Setup...................................................................................................3-21

Chapter 4 Options

4.0 Introduction................................................................................................4-1

4.1 Options Cards............................................................................................4-1

4.2 Full Rack Extender Installation....................................................................4-1

Appendix

A. Material Parameters

B. Specifications

C. I/O Connections

D. Handheld Remote Controller

E. Declaration of Conformity

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-1

1.0 Introduction

The SQC-122c is a multi-channel quartz crystal monitor and deposition controller. It

measures up to six 1MHz to 6 MHz quartz crystal sensors, and controls two evaporation

sources. Twenty-five processes, consisting of 250 layers and 25 materials, can be

stored for easy retrieval. Eight process control relays, and eight digital inputs are easily

configured to support a broad range of external functions, including source pocket

rotation.

The SQC-122c can also be controlled via the standard RS-232 interface and Windows

control program. An optional handheld remote power control is also available.

Note: The SQC-122 (color display) replaces our original (monochrome) SQC-122.

Operation and programming of the two models are identical.

This chapter will aid you in the initial setup and operation of your system. Please review

the entire manual for detailed operational, programming, and safety information.

1.1 Thin Film Process Overview

The SQC-122c stores the recipes, and provides the operating functions, required to

control thin film deposition processes. A typical thin film deposition cycle is shown

below.

The cycle can be broken into three distinct phases: pre-conditioning (ramp/soak),

deposition, and post-conditioning (feed/idle). During pre-conditioning, power is supplied

in steps to prepare the evaporation source for deposition. Once the material is near the

desired deposition rate, material deposition begins. During deposition, the PID loop

adjusts the evaporation source power as required to maintain the desired deposition

rate. When the desired thickness is reached, the evaporation source is set to idle

power. At this point the process may be complete, or deposition of another film layer

may begin.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-2

1.2 Front Panel

SoftKeys Control Knob Remote Jack

Front Panel Controls

SoftKeys Provide access to instrument operations and setup menus.

The functions of the SoftKeys change to adapt to different

operations and are displayed on the left of the screen.

Control

Knob Used to adjust values and select menu items. Pushing the

control knob stores the current setting and moves to the next.

Remote

Jack Connection jack for the optional handheld remote control

module. See Appendix D.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-3

1.3 Rear Panel

100-120/200-240 V~

50/60 Hz

25 VA

Sensor 1 Sensor 2 Output 1 Output 2 I/O 1-8

RS-232

Sensor 3 Sensor 4 Output 3 Output 4

instruments

Sigma

Manufactured By

I/O 9-16

Fuse T.5A 250V

SQC-122c Deposition Controller

Serial No.

Rear Panel Connections

Sensor 1 & 2 Connects to quartz crystal sensor remote oscillator.

Output 1 & 2 Connects the SQC-122c output to your evaporation supply

control input.

I/O (1-8) Connects 8 relays and 8 digital inputs to external equipment for

process control. See Appendix C for connections.

RS-232 Connects to computer for programming and data acquisition.

Sensor 3 & 4

Output 3 & 4

I/O 9-16

This option card is available only on SQC-222 controllers.

Contact Sigma for upgrade information.

Measurement ground terminal useful for common system and

cable grounding.

Power Input and

Fuse WARNING: For continued protection, replace fuses with the

proper type and rating.

WARNING: Use removable power cords only of the specified

type and rating, attached to a properly grounded receptacle.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-4

1.4 System Connections

Sensor

Feedthrough

In-Vac

Cable

6" BNC Cable

Oscillator

Source

Shutter

Ground Wire

Evaporation Supply

Output Control Input

BNC

Cables

This section identifies typical system components and their connection:

System Components

Sensor Holds the quartz crystal used to measure rate and thickness.

Crystals must be replaced occasionally.

In-Vac Cable A coaxial cable that connects the sensor to the feedthrough.

Feedthrough Provides isolation between vacuum and atmosphere for

electrical and cooling lines.

6” BNC Cable Provides a flexible connection from the feedthrough to the

oscillator. Keep this cable as short as possible.

Oscillator Contains the electronics to operate the quartz crystal. Total

cable length to the crystal should be under 40”.

Sensor Input

BNC Cable Connects the oscillator to the SQC-122c input. Lengths up to

100’ are acceptable.

Control Output

BNC Cable Connects the SQC-122c output to the evaporation source’s

control voltage input. Keep the length below 10’.

Ground Wire A wire, typically braided, that connects the vacuum system to

the SQC-122c ground terminal.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-5

1.5 Installation

WARNING: Care should be exercised to route SQC-122c cables as far as practical from

other cables that carry high voltages or generate noise. This includes other line voltage

cables, wires to heaters that are SCR-controlled, and cables to source power supplies

that may conduct high transient currents during arc down conditions.

Rack

Installation The SQC-122c occupies a 5.25” high, half-rack space. An

optional installation kit is available to adapt to a full rack (see

Chapter 4). Install the unit in a 19” rack with the supplied

hardware.

Power

Connection The SQC-122c automatically detects mains voltages of 100-

120 and 200-240VAC, 50/60Hz.

WARNING: Verify that the power cable provided is connected to

a properly grounded mains receptacle.

Sensor Input

Connections Connect the BNC cables and oscillators from your vacuum

chamber feedthrough to the desired SQC-122c sensor inputs.

Source Output

Connections Connect the BNC cables from the SQC-122c output

connectors to your evaporation supply control input.

Digital I/O

Connections Refer to Appendix C for details on wiring digital I/O to the SQC-

122c Relay I/O connectors.

Computer

Connection If you would like to use the Windows software to collect data or

program the SQC-122c, attach a 9 pin straight-thru cable from

the RS-232 connector to your computer’s serial port.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-6

1.6 Process Setup

Follow these steps to build a process from the main (also called “power up”) screen.

Note: If you are prompted for a password, use the switches along the left of the screen

to enter the password. The top switch is “1”, the bottom switch is “6”. If you forget the

password, see the System Parameters section for password setup.

Power

On Move the rear panel power switch to the On (|) position. The

SQC-122c will briefly display its initialization information, then

go to normal operating mode.

Select

Quick Setup Press the Quick Setup SoftKey to view the quick setup

parameters for the current process.

If no Quick Setup option is visible, no processes are defined in

the SQC-122c. In that case, press Film Menu, then scroll the

cursor until an <Empty> film is selected. Press Create to

create a new film, then press Main Screen. Now press

Process Menu, then Create, then Edit. Select Insert Layer,

scroll to your new film and press Enter. Now press Prev Menu

twice to return to the Main Menu.

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

Film : Aluminum

Layer: 1 of 1

Process: My Process 1

Layer Rate: 11.1

Final Thick: 0.1011

Run Time: 0:00:00

PHASE: Stopped

100.0

50.0

0.0

0.0 25.0 50.0

Power (% vs. Time)

Quick

Setup

Process

Film

System

Params

Start

12.5 37.5

Main Screen

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-7

Edit Mode To edit a setting in any menu, turn the control knob to scroll to

the desired setting, then press the Edit SoftKey.

In Edit mode, the cursor moves to the setting value and the

SoftKey functions change to show:

Next: Store the parameter and move to next parameter for

editing.

Cancel: Stop editing and return the selected parameter to its

previous value.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

In Edit mode, adjust the control knob to set the desired

parameter value.

Edit

Layer 1 Spend some time navigating through the Quick Setup

parameters and editing values. When you are comfortable, be

sure your values for Layer 1 match those shown below.

Fnl Thk

I Term

D Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Max. Power

Slew Rate

Material Copper

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.0

0.7

0.101

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Quick Setup Menu

Layer

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 -> Layer 1 ->

Aluminum

Parameter

Value

Units

Init Rate 11.1 A/s

P Term 50 None

Exit to Main Press Exit to Main to return to the main screen.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-8

1.7 Depositing a Film

If you have followed this Quick Start chapter, you are ready to deposit a film.

Note: You can simulate the steps below, without actually depositing a film, by going to

the System Parameters Menu and selecting Simulate Mode ON. Simulate mode is

useful for testing processes before applying power to the evaporation supply. See

Section 3.6 for System Parameters Menu information.

Verify Output

Operation From the Main Menu, press the Next Menu SoftKey. Then,

press Auto/Manual to display Manual/Auto. Slowly turn the

control knob to increase the control voltage to your evaporation

supply. Verify that the Power(%) reading in the display upper

right-hand corner approximates the actual output of your

evaporation supply. If not, check your hookup (1.5), and refer

to Scale Voltage (3.6).

Verify Sensor

Operation Press Next Menu until the Switch Displays option is shown.

Press Switch Displays to display Sensor 1 and Sensor 2 in

the lower status section of the screen. At least one sensor

should be ON and display a % life of over 50%. If not, check

your sensor connections (1.5), and refer to Min/Max Frequency

(3.6).

Enter

Auto Mode Press the Next Menu key twice to display the output screen.

Press Manual/Auto until Auto/Manual is displayed.

Show

Power Graph Press Next Menu once more. Press the Next Graph SoftKey

until the graph shows Power (% vs. Time).

Start

Process Press the Start key to start the deposition process. Graphing

of the output power should start.

Caution: Observe the output power versus your evaporation

supply’s actual output. If there is a problem, press the Stop

SoftKey immediately.

If the rate and thickness readings do not match your expectations, refer to Appendix A

for information on Density and Z-Factor, and Section 2.4 for Tooling.

Please take time to review the remainder of this manual for detailed operational,

programming, and safety information.

Chapter 1 Quick Start

1-9

This page left blank for your notes.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-1

2.0 Introduction

This chapter describes common tasks associated with operating the SQC-122c. It

assumes that you understand basic operation of the menus and parameter setup as

described in Chapter 1. Detailed definitions of unfamiliar setup parameters can be

found under the appropriate menu description in Chapter 3.

2.1 Definitions

Several terms will be used repeatedly throughout this manual. It is important that you

understand each of these terms.

Material: A physical material to be deposited. A database of approximately 100

materials is stored in the SQC-122c, and additional materials may be added using the

setup software. Three parameters completely define a material: Name, Density, and Z-

Factor. A table of common materials, their density, and Z-Factor is listed in Appendix A.

Film: A film describes in detail how a material will be deposited. It includes the material

definition and all of the preconditioning, deposition, and post conditioning variables

necessary to accurately deposit the material. Because the film definition does not

include rate and thickness information, a film can be used in several different

processes. The SQC-122c stores up to 25 films.

Layer: Layers are the basic building blocks of processes. A layer consists of a film and

the thickness and rate that it be deposited in a process.

Process: A deposition process is a sequence of layers (i.e. films, materials) to be

deposited. The SQC-122c can store up to 25 processes, consisting of a total of 250

layers.

2.2 Defining a Film

A film is a material to be deposited, plus all of its associated setup parameters. Keep in

mind that a film can be used in multiple processes. Editing a film’s parameters will

cause changes to every process where the film is used.

To define a film, select Film Menu on the main screen. A list of 25 films (or <Empty>)

will be displayed. To define a new film, scroll to <Empty> and press Create. A new

Film# is added to the list of existing films (you can use the SQC-122c setup software

later to assign descriptive film names). Press Edit to display the parameters for this

film.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-2

The most commonly modified parameters are shown on the first film parameters screen.

Additional parameters can be accessed by pressing Film Conds (film conditioning) or

Deposit Controls.

I Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Pocket

Max Power

Slew Rate

Film Tooling

Crystal Quality Disabled

100

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.7

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Film Edit Menu

Film

Conds.

Deposit

Controls

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 Editing: Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

P Term 50 None

D Term 0.0 Sec.

Scroll to the end of the list (Z-Factor), then scroll back up to Material. Press Edit to

scroll through the list of available materials. Notice that the Density and Z-Factor are

updated automatically as a new material appears.

Select the desired material and press Enter. You could change the Density and Z-

Factor for the selected material now, but it is unlikely those values are wrong. To add a

material name that is not listed, you must use the SQC-122c setup software.

Once the material is selected, set up the source parameters. Scroll to Output and

select the SQC-122c rear panel output that is connected to the source evaporation

supply. If a source pocket indexer is being used, assign it also.

Now assign the Max Power and Slew Rate appropriate for this material and your power

supply. For now, set both to 100%. Set them to lower values later if you find that small

power changes cause excessively large changes in deposition rate.

The SQC-122c can use multiple sensors to measure a film’s deposition rate and

thickness. If multiple sensors are selected, an average of the sensors is used. Set

each sensor that will be used to measure this film to ON. Alternately, you might want to

use a dual shuttered sensor in case of crystal failures. See the Film Menu section of

Chapter 3 for instructions on setting up a primary/secondary dual sensor.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-3

The PID parameters control the response of the SQC-122c to changes in deposition

rate. These values are unique to each deposition chamber setup, and to a lesser extent

to each material.

The P Term is proportional (or gain), the % process rate change divided by the % input

power change. The I Term (integral) sums the rate deviations over time to more

accurately achieve the rate setpoint. The D Term (derivative) speeds response to

sudden changes in rate. Volumes have been written on determining the proper PID

settings. See the section on Loop Tuning later in this chapter for a common PID loop

tuning procedure. For now, you should probably leave these values at their defaults.

Press Film Conds to enter the film conditioning menu. Film preconditioning is used to

prepare a material for deposition. When the film deposition is complete, post

conditioning ramps power down to an idle level. It may also ramp power to a level

appropriate for wire feeding new material. Refer to the Thin Film Process Overview in

Chapter 1 for an illustration of pre and post conditioning.

Ramp1 Time

Ramp2 Power

Ramp2 Time

Soak2 Time

Feed Power

Ramp Time

Feed Time

Idle Power

Ramp Time 0.950

2.90

0:00:00

10.0

75.0

Out1

0.7

h:mm:ss

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Film Conditioning Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 Editing: Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

Ramp1 Power 50 %

Soak1 Time 0.0 h:mm:ss

h:mm:ss

Set the Ramp 1 Power and Time to values that will slowly bring the material to a near

molten state. Set the Soak 1 Time to a value that will allow the material to

homogeneously achieve the state. Ramp 2 is used to slowly bring the material to a

power level that nearly matches the desired deposition power. Use Soak 2 to hold the

material at that level until deposition (i.e. rate control) begins.

If you use wire feed to replenish material after deposition, set the Feed Power and times

as required. Idle typically ramps output power back toward zero at the end of a

process.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-4

From the Film Conds menu, press Prev Menu to return to the main Film Params menu.

Now press Deposit Controls. The Deposit Controls menu contains parameters that

modify operation during the deposition phase.

Capture

Setting

Error

Rate Sampling

Setting

Accuracy Based

Undefined

(Cont,Time,Acc based)

18.0

Hold

20.0

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Deposition Controls Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

Current: Process 1 EDITING: Film 1

Parameter Value Units

Shutter Delay 0:01:00 h:mm:ss

Control Error (Ignore, Stop, Hold)

0.0 %

Shutter delay causes the SQC-122c to delay opening the shutter until the process has

stabilized at the desired deposition rate. The time value is the maximum amount of time

to wait, before an error is sensed. Capture is the % rate deviation that must be

achieved to open the shutter and go to the Deposit phase. Capture will override the

shutter delay if accuracy is reached. Set Shutter Delay and Capture to zero to disable

this feature.

If the SQC-122c is unable to maintain the desired deposition rate (for example, out of

material or a bad sensor), one of three actions is possible. Keep trying (Ignore), set

power to zero to halt deposition (Stop), or maintain constant power (Hold) and

extrapolate thickness from the last good rate reading. Until your process is known and

stable, it is best to leave the Control Error setting on Ignore.

Rate sampling can extend sensor life in high rate processes. Select Cont (continuous)

to disable rate sampling. A Time selection closes the shutter for a fixed time, then

opens the shutter for a fixed time to sample the rate. Acc Based (accuracy based)

sampling closes the shutter for a fixed time, then opens the shutter until the desired rate

is achieved. Rate Sampling assumes a very stable process!

Each film parameter has been set. Press Exit to Main to return to the Main Screen.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-5

2.3 Defining a Process

A process is a sequence of film layers deposited to achieve a particular thin film

characteristic. A few processes, each consisting of a few layers, may be adequate for a

production facility. For research or laboratory use, the SQC-122c can store up to 25

processes to a total of 250 layers.

You should define each of the films that will make up the layers of the process before

starting process definition. See the previous section for instructions on defining films.

To define a process, select Process Menu on the main screen. A list of 25 processes

(or <Empty>) will be displayed. To define a new process, scroll to <Empty> and press

Create. A new Process# is added to the list of existing processes (use the SQC-122c

setup software to assign descriptive process names). Press Select, then Edit to

display the sequence of layers and films that comprise the selected process.

To add a layer, scroll to the desired location in the layer sequence, and press Insert

Layer. Select a film for this layer from the list and press Enter. Once a film is assigned

to a process layer, you cannot change the film. Instead, cut the layer, then insert a new

layer and select the desired film. To edit a layer, highlight it, then press Edit.

Fnl Thk

Thickness Limit

Start Mode

Start Thickness

Ramp Time

New Rate

Ramp2

Ramp1 Enabled

Disabled

3.5

0:00:30

0.150

Auto

0.400

0.500

En/Dis

Man/Auto

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Layer Edit Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 Layer 1 ->

Parameter Value Units

Init. Rate 5.0 A/s

Time Setpoint 0:01:00 h:mm:ss

h:mm:ss

A/s

Remember that most setup parameters are set in the Films Menu, and apply to every

instance where the film is used. The layer parameters pertain only to this instance of

the film, in this process.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-6

Initial Rate and Final Thickness are the main process setpoints for this layer of material.

Keep in mind that the SQC-122c zeroes thickness at the beginning of each layer. It is

not a cumulative value.

Time Setpoint and Thickness Limit are arbitrary values that will activate a relay when

they are reached.

Start mode allows you to have this layer start immediately on completion of the previous

layer, Auto mode. Manual mode waits for a user signal via the front panel, RS-232, or

digital input to start the layer.

Rate Ramps allow the deposition rate to change over time, under PID control. Each

rate ramp has a starting thickness, an elapsed time to ramp to the new rate, and a new

rate setpoint. Each process layer can have up to two rate ramps.

Press Prev Menu to return to the list of layers, or Exit to Main to return to the Main

Screen.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-7

2.4 Sensor Setup

The theory of operation for a quartz crystal sensor is quite simple. The sensor initially

oscillates at its natural frequency, typically 6MHz. As material is deposited on the

substrate, it is also deposited on the sensor. Depending on the density of the deposited

material, and the amount of material deposited, the sensor’s frequency will drop from its

initial frequency. The rate and thickness can be calculated from this frequency shift.

Sensor setup involves selecting the sensor(s) to be used, setting the Min/Max crystal

frequencies, and adjusting the Tooling Factor. Sensors are assigned to each film, as

described in Section 2.2, Defining a Film. See Section 3.5 for information on setting up

dual shuttered sensors.

In the System Params menu, Max Frequency is the initial frequency of a new crystal,

typically 6.0e+06 Hz (6 MHz). Due to manufacturing tolerances, some crystals may

oscillate above 6MHz initially, which would be detected as a sensor error. Setting the

Max Frequency slightly above the nominal value, to say 6.1MHz, will avoid this problem

with no effect on instrument accuracy.

Min Frequency is the frequency where the SQC-122c will flag a sensor as bad. For a

6MHz crystal, the Min Frequency is typically 5 MHz.

Crystal failure is often predicted by brief periods of “mode hopping,” where the crystal

briefly makes an abrupt change in frequency, or stops oscillating altogether. Some

materials will cause crystals to fail or mode hop well before 5MHz. It is good practice to

set the Min Frequency to a value that indicates crystal failure well before most crystals

actually fail.

To better determine impending crystal failure, Crystal Quality and Stability parameters

are also available for each Film. See Chapter 3, Film Menus for more information on

setting Crystal Quality and Stability.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-8

Sensor Tooling, also found in the System Params menu, adjusts for the difference in

measured deposition rate between the sensor and the substrate being coated.

Substrate

Tooling

Over 100% Tooling

Under 100%

In the illustration above (left), the sensor will measure less rate or thickness than is

actually deposited on the substrate because of its positioning. In the right illustration,

the sensor will measure high. Tooling is the ratio of the actual substrate deposition rate

or thickness, to that measured by the sensor.

Let’s assume that at the end of deposition the sensor measures a thickness of 1.000

kA. But, suppose the actual substrate is deposited to 1.100 kA thickness (as

determined by some other means, such as a stylus profilometer). Then the tooling for

this sensor would be:

(1.100 / 1.000) x 100 = 110

A simple rule to remembers is: If the rate/thickness reading is low, then increase the

tooling value. If the rate/thickness reading is high, then lower the tooling value.

Xtal Tool 1 and 2 adjust the tooling for each individual sensor. It is particularly important

when using sensor averaging to balance multiple sensors so that their measurements

match.

System Tooling applies to the overall Rate and Thickness measurements of all sensors.

It is sometimes used to adjust for some systematic difference in the actual vs. measured

readings. In general, Crystal Tooling (Xtal Tool 1 and 2) should be used instead.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-9

Once the sensor parameters are set, test your sensor setup to assure reliable readings

at the SQC-122c. A typical single sensor setup is shown below:

On the SQC-122c, press Next Menu until the Sensor Info option is shown, then press

Sensor Info.

Any connected sensor (whether programmed On or Off) should display its frequency

and % remaining life, as defined by Min and Max Frequency setup. For a new sensor,

the value should be near 100%. If the % Life is 0.00% or jumps around, check your

cabling and the installation of the sensor in its holder.

Sigma supplies a small 5.5MHz “test crystal adapter” with each oscillator. If the % Life

reading is not correct, remove the 6” BNC that is connected to your feedthrough at the

oscillator. Connect the test crystal and adapter to the oscillator connector labeled

feedthrough. For a typical setup of 6MHz Max Frequency and 5MHz Min Frequency,

the % life display should be near 50%.

More information on locating system and sensor problems is described in the

Troubleshooting section, later in this chapter.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-10

2.5 Source Setup

The SQC-122c controls deposition rate by varying the control voltage to an external

evaporation (source) supply. The previous illustration for sensor wiring also shows

source supply wiring.

The SQC-122c control voltage output range is set in the Systems Params menu. For

the supply connected to Output 1, set Scale 1 to the control voltage that corresponds to

100% output on the source supply. The SQC-122c uses 0 volts as 0% output, and the

programmed value as 100% output. Scale values from –10 volts to 10 volts are

possible.

If you find that very small changes in control voltage yield large changes in deposition

rate, you can lower the Scale value to decrease the dynamic range. Also, each Film

has a Max Power and Slew Rate parameter that may be used to customize response to

that film.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-11

2.6 Running a Process

Once a Process is defined with the desired Layers, and the sensors and source supply

are properly connected, the deposition process is ready to run. The next section, on

Loop Tuning, describes a method for initial process startup and optimization. This

section describes the steps to select, start, and stop a process.

Note: It is best (and safest!) to place the SQC-122c in Simulate mode when a process

is first run. If the bottom SoftKey does not show Start Simulate, press System Params

and turn Simulate ON.

To select a process, the status bar must be showing Phase: Stopped. If any other

phase is displayed, press the Abort SoftKey.

Press Process Menu, then use the scroll knob to highlight the desired process. If the

third SoftKey shows Edit when a process is highlighted, then it is already the current

process. Otherwise, press Select to set the highlighted process as the current process.

You can press Edit to review the current process layers and their associated films.

Press Main Screen to return to the main operating screen.

Press Quick Setup to review the most commonly adjusted parameters for the first layer

of the process. Press Next Layer to review each layer in the current process.

Fnl Thk

I Term

D Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Max. Power

Slew Rate

Material Aluminum

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.0

0.7

0.101

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Quick Setup Menu

Layer

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 -> Layer 1-> Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

Init Rate 11.1 A/s

P Term 50 None

Press Exit to Main to return to the main operating screen.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-12

While we’re on the Main Menu screen, and before starting the selected process, let’s

cover the capabilities of the Next Menu screens.

Press Next Menu once to view the first Next Menu screen. This screen provides two

important operator functions: Zero Thickness and Auto/Manual mode.

The Zero SoftKey can be used to zero the thickness reading at any time. It is not

normally needed, since the SQC-122c automatically zeroes the thickness at the

beginning of each layer. It is, however, useful when simulating a process and when

operating in Manual mode.

The Auto/Manual key alternates between Automatic (PID) output control and Manual

(user) output control. Auto/Manual indicates the process is in automatic control, and a

key press will change to Manual control. Manual/Auto indicates Manual control; a key

press changes to Automatic mode.

In Manual mode, the SQC-122c immediately starts the deposition phase for the current

layer, whether the process was stopped or running. However, the PID loop is disabled

and output power is controlled by the front panel control knob.

In Manual Mode, you will usually display the Rate Graph, then manually adjust the

output power to achieve the desired deposition rate. It is easy to exceed a layer’s Final

Thickness setpoint in Manual mode, so watch the Thickness reading carefully. Manual

mode is particularly useful for determining preconditioning power levels, and loop gain

(discussed later in Loop Tuning).

Moving from Manual mode to Auto mode places the SQC-122c into automatic (PID)

control. The PID control loop will try to achieve rate setpoint, so there may be a rapid

change in output power.

Press Next Menu again to view the second Next Menu screen.

Next Graph selects which of three available graphs is displayed. The Power Graph is

useful during preconditioning. The Rate graph shows the response of the control loop

to process changes, such as when moving from preconditioning to deposition. The

Rate Deviation Graph shows the performance of the control system during deposition.

The SQC-122c automatically displays the most useful graph for each phase of

deposition.

Switch Displays toggles the process data display in the lower portion of the screen

between two different process displays.

Sensor Info replaces the graph with a detailed display of sensor information.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-13

Enough preliminaries, let’s start the process!

Press Start from any of the main screen menus to start deposition. If the first layer

Start mode was programmed as Manual, you will need to press the Start Layer SoftKey

now to start the layer.

Note: Don’t confuse Manual and Auto Start mode with the Manual/Auto SoftKey.

Manual Start is a Process setup parameter that tells the SQC-122c to wait for operator

intervention before starting a Layer.

THICKNESS(kA)

0.057 RATE(A/s)

0.3 POWER(%)

45.0

Film : Film1

Layer: 1 of 4

Process: My Process 1

Layer Rate: 8.00

Final Thick: 1.100

Run Time: 0:00:45

PHASE: Soak 2

100.0

50.0

0.0

0.0 25.0 50.0

Power (% vs. Time)

Zero

Auto /

Manual

Stop

Layer

Abort

12.5 37.5

Preconditioning

When Start is pushed, the process starts with the first layer preconditioning phase.

When preconditioning is complete, the deposition phase begins. The deposition phase

ends when Final Thickness is reached for the layer, then Feed and Idle phases run (if

programmed).

If the second layer is Auto Start, its cycle begins immediately when the first layer is

complete. If the second Layer is Manual Start, or it’s the last layer in the process, the

process halts and waits for operator intervention.

While the process is running, a Stop Layer SoftKey is shown (see above). Pressing

Stop Layer temporarily halts the current layer and displays two restart options, Start

Nxt Layer and Restart Layer.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-14

THICKNESS(kA)

0.824 RATE(A/s)

7.8 POWER(%)

55.3

Film : Film1

Layer: 1 of 4

Process: My Process 1

Layer Rate: 8.00

Final Thick: 1.100

Run Time: 0:01:45

PHASE: Stop Layer

100.0

50.0

0.0

0.0 80.0 160.0

Rate (A/s vs. Time)

Zero

Auto /

Manual

Restart

Layer

Abort

40.0 120

Layer Stopped

Start Nxt

Layer

Restart Layer repeats the stopped layer, beginning with preconditioning. Start Nxt

Layer skips the remainder of the current layer and immediately starts the next layer.

Note: Pressing the Abort SoftKey at any time completely aborts the process. You can

only restart the process at Layer 1!

Spend some time in Simulate mode verifying that the process sequences through each

phase of each layer as expected. If not, use the Quick Setup, Process, and Film menus

to make corrections.

Because the process is being “simulated,” some parameters will not be correct for your

process (particularly, PID). However, you can become familiar with the effect of each

parameter in this simulated process. Also practice using the Next Menu options,

especially Auto/Manual modes.

Once you have verified the process in Simulate Mode, you may return to the System

Params menu and turn Simulate OFF to start testing your process. Use the next

section to finalize the loop PID settings.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-15

2.7 Loop Tuning

This section will help you adjust your control loop PID parameters to achieve a stable

deposition process. Keep in mind that there is no “best” way to determine PID

parameters, and no one set of settings that are “best.”

Setup System Parameters: Be sure that the output Scale and crystal Min/Max

Frequency parameters are accurate for your system. All Tooling parameters are best

set to 100% for now. A Period of .25 seconds is also a good starting point. Simulate

should be OFF.

Create a One-Layer Test Process: Create a new film with all default values. Create a

new process that has the new film as its only layer, and select it as the current process.

In the Quick Setup menu set Init Rate to your desired rate and Final Thickness to a

large value, say 10X your desired Final Thickness. Select the proper Sensor(s), Output,

and Material. Set Max Power to 100% and Slew rate to 100%.

Test the Setup: Press Auto/Manual to start the layer in Manual mode. Slowly turn the

control knob to a power of 10%, and verify that your power supply output is about 10%

of full scale. Continue to turn the control knob until a Rate(A/s) above 0 is shown.

Again, verify that the power supply output agrees with the SQC-122c Power(%) reading.

If the readings don’t agree, check your wiring and process setup. In particular, verify

that the System Parameters output scale agrees with your power supply input

specifications.

Determine Open Loop Gain: Slowly adjust the control knob until the Rate(A/s) reading

approximately matches your desired rate (Init Rate in the Quick Setup menu). Record

the desired rate Power(%) reading as PWRDR. Slowly lower the power until the

Rate(A/s) reading is just at (or near) zero. Record the zero rate Power(%) reading as

PWR0R.

Determine Open Loop Response Time: Calculate 1/3 of your desired rate (RATE1/3),

and 2/3 of the desired rate (RATE2/3) for this layer. Slowly increase the power until

Rate(A/s) matches RATE1/3. Get ready to record the loop’s response to an input

change. Quickly adjust Power(%) to PWRDR. Measure the time for the Rate (A/s)

reading to reach RATE2/3. You may want to do this several times to get an average

response time reading. Displaying the Rate graph will also help. Twice the measured

time is the step response time, TIMESR. TIMESR is typically .7 to 1.5 seconds for E-

Beam evaporation, 5 to 20 seconds for thermal evaporation.

Return the output power to 0%, then press Manual/Auto to return to Auto mode. Follow

these steps to set the loop PID parameters:

Set PID Values: In the Quick Setup menu set P=25, I= TIMESR, D=0. Exit the Quick

Setup menu. Press Start and observe the Power graph. The power should rise from

0%, and stabilize near PWRDR with little ringing or overshoot. If there is more than

Chapter 2 Operation

2-16

about 10% overshoot, lower the P Term. If the time to reach PWRDR is very slow,

increase the P Term. A lower I Term will increase response time, a higher value will

eliminate ringing and setpoint deviations. It is unlikely you will need any D Term.

Continue to Start the process and adjust PID until steady-state response is smooth and

the step response is reasonably controlled. You don’t need to totally eliminate ringing

during the step if the steady-state response is smooth, preconditioning will minimize

step changes.

Set Preconditioning: The power level you recorded as PWR0R is the power where

deposition just begins. That’s a good value for Ramp 1 power. PWRDR, or slightly less,

is a good value for Ramp 2 Power. This will eliminate a large step change when

entering the deposition phase.

Once PID terms are established for a material, they will typically be similar for other

materials. Only the P Term and preconditioning power levels may need adjustment.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-17

2.8 Troubleshooting

Most SQC-122c problems are caused by defective crystals or improper film setup,

particularly incorrect PID settings for the control loop. Follow the procedures below to

identify and correct common problems.

2.8.1 No Readings, or Erratic Readings from Sensors:

Disconnect the deposition source supply. This eliminates the possibility that a noisy

source, or poor loop tuning, are causing an unstable PID loop.

Verify that the sensors, oscillator and cabling are connected as shown in Section 1.5.

Assure that a good ground connection has been made to the SQC-122c chassis.

Replace the quartz crystal. Crystals sometimes fail unexpectedly, or exhibit erratic

frequency shifts before total failure. Depending on the material, crystals may fail well

before the typical 5MHz value. If you find that crystals consistently fail early, you may

want to set Min Frequency in the System Menu to a value higher then 5 MHz.

In the System Menu, assure that Simulate Mode is OFF, and Frequency Min/Max are

set properly for your crystals (typically Freq Min=5.0 MHz, Freq Max=6.0 MHz). Some

manufacturer's crystals exceed 6MHz when new. Setting Frequency Max to 6.1 Hz will

correct that problem, with no bearing on instrument accuracy.

Press Film Menu, Edit, and assure that the proper sensors are enabled. Press Exit to

Main, then Next Menu until the Sensor Info SoftKey shows. Press Sensor Info to show

sensor frequency and % Life.

While not depositing, observe the % Life display for each active sensor. The value

should be stable, between 20% and 100%.

If the % Life reading is zero or unstable: Recheck the wiring from the sensor to the

SQC-122c, and verify that the SQC-122c is properly grounded. Also check that the

crystal is seated properly in the sensor head.

Swap the sensor to the other SQC-122c input. If both SQM-122 inputs show zero or

unstable readings, the problem is almost certainly a wiring or sensor problem.

If the % Life is less than 50%: Replace the crystal and assure that % Life is near

100%, very stable. If % Life is not near 100%, check the Frequency Min/Max limits.

If the problem is not corrected: Referring to Section 1.5, disconnect the 6” M/F BNC

cable from the external oscillator module. A 5.5 MHz test crystal and BNC barrel

adapter is supplied with each oscillator. Attach the test crystal to the oscillator

Sensor connector. The display should read about 5.5 MHz, very stable. If not,

contact Sigma Instruments technical support.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-18

When the frequency reading is stable, reconnect the source supply. Start the

deposition process in Manual mode with 0% output. The % Life readings should remain

stable.

Slowly raise the % Output until a rate reading is displayed above the graph. As material

is deposited on the crystal, the % Life reading should remain stable, or drop slowly and

consistently. If not, check your source supply for erratic output. Also assure that the

sensor is not too close to the source (particularly in sputtering).

2.8.2 Incorrect Rate or Thickness Measurement:

First, complete the procedures in Section 2.8.1 to assure reliable sensor operation.

Set the Xtal Tooling as described in the System Menu section of Chapter 3. Incorrect

Xtal Tooling values will cause consistently low or high rate/thickness values for every

material.

Once the Xtal Tooling is set, set Film Tooling in the Film Menu to 100 unless you are

certain that another value is needed for a specific film.

Verify that the Density and Z-Factor values match those in the Materials Parameters

Appendix. If the material is not listed, check a materials handbook. Density has a

significant effect on rate/thickness calculations.

Z-Factor corrects for stresses as a crystal is coated. If readings are initially accurate,

but deteriorate as crystal life drops below 60-70%, you need to adjust the Z-Factor or

replace crystals more frequently. The relationship between Z-Factor and Acoustic

Impedance is discussed in the Materials Appendix.

2.8.3 Poor Rate Stability:

First, be sure that a stable rate can be achieved in Manual mode, as explained in

Section 2.8.1. Once a stable rate is achieved in Manual mode, follow the Loop Tuning

procedures of Section 2.7.

Chapter 2 Operation

2-19

This page left blank for your notes.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-1

3.0 Introduction

SQC-122c operation during deposition is accomplished by pressing one of the six

SoftKeys along the left of the display. Five menus provide access to all programmable

and operating functions:

Main

Menu The Main Menu is displayed at power up. It provides the

SoftKey functions and display information necessary to run a

thin film deposition.

On the Main Menu, you can view additional sub-menus by

repeatedly pressing the Next Menu SoftKey. These sub-

menus are discussed in Section 3.2.

Quick Setup

Menu Provides immediate access to the most commonly adjusted

parameters for the current process and layer.

Process

Menu A process is a sequence of layers of deposited film(s). Each

layer in a process has a specific film, final thickness, and

deposition rate(s) associated with it. These are accessed from

the Process Menu.

Film

Menu A film is basically a material plus the setup information

necessary to deposit that material. Settings on the Film Menu

include pre/post conditioning, deposition error controls, and the

physical chamber setup for that material.

System

Parameters

System parameters control the overall operation of the SQC-

122c. Tooling, crystal frequency, and operating modes are

examples of settings found on the System Parameters Menu.

The remainder of this chapter provides a detailed explanation of each menu and its

settings.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-2

3.1 Main Menu

The default, power-up Main Screen display is shown below.

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

Film : Aluminum

Layer: 1 of 25

Process: My Process 1

Layer Rate: 11.1

Final Thick: 0.1011

Run Time: 0:00:00

PHASE: Stopped

100.0

50.0

0.0

0.0 25.0 50.0

Power (% vs. Time)

Quick

Setup

Process

Film

System

Params

Start

12.5 37.5

Main Screen

The measured Thickness, Rate, and output Power values are always displayed along

the top of the screen.

The graph displays either Rate, Rate Deviation, or output Power. The next section of

the manual describes graph selection.

The status bar below the graph displays the current deposition phase. In Manual mode,

Manual Power is displayed in the status bar. In Auto mode, the status bar will

automatically sequence through the pre-condition, deposit, and feed/idle phases for

each layer, as defined by the Process setup.

Below the status bar, important settings for the current process are shown. The next

section explains other parameters that can be displayed in this screen area.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-3

The Main Screen SoftKeys undergo subtle changes based on the current process

status. The table below describes the function of each of the possible SoftKeys on the

Main Screen.

Menu Displays additional Main Menu options as described in Section

3.2.

Quick

Setup Displays the Quick Setup Menu of commonly changed process

values.

Process

Menu Create, delete, and edit up to 25 processes. Also used to

select the currently active process. When a process is running,

this selection is not available.

Film

Menu Create, delete, and edit up to 25 films. A film is basically a

material, and may appear in several processes.

System

Params Sets system-wide operating parameters. Also used to “map”

the 8 digital inputs and 8 relays to process functions.

Start

Layer Each layer in a process can be defined as auto start or manual

start. Auto start layers begin immediately on completion of the

previous layer. Manual start layers wait for the operator to

press the Start Layer SoftKey.

Restart / StartNxt

Layer During deposition, it may be necessary to halt a layer to correct

a problem. These two SoftKeys allow the operator to either

restart the current layer or skip to the next layer.

Stop

Layer Temporarily halts deposition. Deposition is restarted with the

Restart or Start Nxt keys.

Start/Abort Starts or aborts sequencing through the current process layers

and deposition cycles. Abort sets both outputs to zero, and

abandons the current process.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-4

3.2 Next Menu Screens

The Next Menu SoftKey provides access to two sub-menus of the Main Menu that

control display and operating mode preferences.

Next Menu Screens

Zero Zeros the thickness reading. Useful for resetting or extending

the current deposition layer.

Auto /

Manual Toggles between Auto and Manual power control. When

Auto/Manual is shown, output power is set by the SQC-122c to

achieve the programmed deposition rate. When Manual/Auto

is shown, the control knob sets the output power.

Graph Cycles through options for the main display. Choose between

Rate, Rate Deviation, and Power graphs.

Switch

Displays Toggles between data display options at the bottom of the

SQC-122c screen. Note the differences between the screens

above, and the Main Menu screen in the previous section.

Sensor Info Replaces the graph with the sensor information screen:

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

PHASE: Stopped

100.0

50.0

0.0

0.0 25.0 50.0

Power (% vs. Time)

Graph

Switch

Displays

Start

12.5 37.5

Sensor

Info

Run #: 1

5-16-00

8:22:39

Source: 1

Max Pow:: 100.00 %

Slew: 100.00 %

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

PHASE: Stopped

100.0

50.0

0.00.0 25.0 50.0

Power (% vs. Time)

Zero

Auto /

Manual

Start

12.5 37.5

Run #: 1

5-16-00

8:22:39

Source: 1

Max Pow:: 100.00 %

Slew: 100.00 %

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000

RATE(A/s)

0.0

POWER( %)

0.0

Sensor # Enable Frequency Life

5.543210 MHz

5.654321 MHz

54.32

65.43 %

Chapter 3 Menus

3-5

3.3 Quick Setup Menu

The Quick Setup Menu provides access to the most commonly adjusted parameters for

the current process and layer.

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Prev Layer Displays the parameters for the previous layer in the process.

Next Layer Displays the parameters for the next layer in the process.

My Process 1 -> Layer 1 -> Aluminum

Scroll Processes with Knob

11. My Process 11

Process Select Menu

Main

Screen

Edit

Delete

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

10. My Process 10

9. My Process 9

8. My Process 8

7. My Process 7

6. My Process 6

5. My Process 5

4. My Process 4

3. My Process 3

2. My Process 2

1. My Process 1

Fnl Thk

I Term

D Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Max. Power

Slew Rate

Material Copper

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.0

0.7

0.101

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Quick Setup Menu

Layer

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

Parameter Value Units

Init Rate 11.1 A/s

P Term 50 None

Fnl Thk

I Term

D Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Max. Power

Slew Rate

Material Copper

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.0

0.7

0.101

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Quick Setup Menu

Layer

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

Parameter Value Units

Init Rate 11.1 A/s

P Term 50 None

Fnl Thk

I Term

D Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Max. Power

Slew Rate

Material Aluminum

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.0

0.7

0.101

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Quick Setup Menu

Layer

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 -> Layer 1-> Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

Init Rate 11.1 A/s

P Term 50 None

Chapter 3 Menus

3-6

Quick Setup parameters are described below:

Initial Rate: The beginning rate of deposition for this layer.

Final Thickness: The desired final thickness of this layer. The deposition phase of this

layer will end when this thickness is reached.

P Term: Sets the gain of the control loop. High gains yield more responsive (but

potentially unstable) loops. Try a value of 50, then gradually increase/decrease the

value to respond to step changes in rate setpoint.

I Term: The integral term controls the time constant of the loop response. A small I

term, say .5 to 1 seconds, will smooth the response of most loops.

D Term: The differential term causes the loop to respond quickly to changes. Use 0 or

a very small value to avoid oscillations.

Sensor 1: Allows quartz crystal Sensor 1 to be turned on or off for the selected layer. If

more than one sensor is assigned to a layer, their readings are averaged. If multiple

sensors are assigned to a layer, and one fails, it is excluded from measurements.

Sensor 2-6: Allows quartz crystal Sensor 2 to be turned on or off. If the four sensor

option card is installed, Sensor 3 to 6 are also visible.

Output: Selects the control voltage output that is active for the selected layer.

Max Power: The maximum output power allowed for the selected output. The Scale

output voltage is a function of the deposition power supply input specifications, and is

set in the System Parameters menu. Max Power controls the maximum power that can

be used by this process layer.

Slew Rate: The maximum power change allowed on an output, per second. If power or

rate ramps exceed this value, an error will occur.

Material: Selects a material assigned to this film. As materials change, their density

and Z-Factor are updated.

Density: Sets the density for this material. Material density has a significant impact on

deposition calculations.

Z-Factor: Sets the Z-factor, an empirically determined measure of a material’s effect on

quartz crystal frequency change. Z-Factor is the ratio of the acoustic impedance of the

sensor to that of the deposited material. It is used to match the acoustic (oscillation)

properties of the material to the quartz sensor. If you know the “acoustic impedance” of

your material, divide it by 8.83 (the acoustic impedance of SiO2) to obtain the material’s

Z-Factor.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-7

3.4 Process Menus

There are several tiers of Process Menus. The first menu (shown below) selects the

current process. The current process is the process that is ready to run, and also the

process that is selected for editing.

Main Screen Returns to the Main Menu.

Menu Steps back through the sequence of process menus: Process

Select <–> Layer Select <–> Layer Edit. On the topmost

Process Menu, returns to the Main Menu.

Select /

Edit Select sets the highlighted process as the current process.

Edit displays the Layer Select Menu for the current process.

Delete Deletes the highlighted process and all of its layers.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of processes. When pressed, selects or

begins editing the highlighted process.

My Process 1 -> Layer 1 -> Aluminum

Scroll Processes with Knob

11. My Process 11

Process Select Menu

Main

Screen

Edit

Delete

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

10. My Process 10

9. My Process 9

8. My Process 8

7. My Process 7

6. My Process 6

5. My Process 5

4. My Process 4

3. My Process 3

2. My Process 2

1. My Process 1

Chapter 3 Menus

3-8

The second Process Menu shows the sequence of layers that will be deposited in the

current process.

Main Screen Returns to the Main Menu.

Menu Returns to the Process Select Menu.

Edit Displays the Layer Edit Menu for the highlighted layer (see

next page).

Cut /

Paste Used to develop the sequence of layers in a process. The

highlighted layer may be Cut (removed from the process) or

Copied to the clipboard. The layer on the clipboard can then

be Pasted anywhere in the list of layers.

Insert

Layer Shows the list of 25 films. Select a film, then press Enter to

insert the film as a new layer.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of layers in the Layer Select Menu, and

through the list of films in the Insert Layer mode. When

pressed, begins editing of the highlighted layer.

Layer Select Menu

Layer

My Process 2 -> Layer 2 -> Aluminum

Cut /

Paste

Edit

Main

Screen

Layer 1

Layer 2

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Insert

Layer

Film

AluminumOxide

Aluminum

Chapter 3 Menus

3-9

Each layer consists of a film (i.e. a material), plus the deposition rate and thickness that

are desired for this layer. The Layer Edit Menu provides access to these layer

parameters:

Fnl Thk

Thickness Limit

Start Mode

Ramp 1

Start Thkness

Ramp Time

New Rate

Ramp 2 Disabled

99.0

0:10:00

4.500

Enabled

Manual

0.000

9.000

En/Dis

A/s

h:mm:ss

En/Dis

Auto/Man.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Edit Layer Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 2 -> Layer 2 -> AluminumOxide

Parameter Value Units

Init Rate 9.9 A/s

Time Setpoint 0:00:00 h:mm:ss

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Prev Menu Returns to the Layer Select Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of layer parameters.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-10

A description of each parameter on the Layer Edit Menu follows:

Initial Rate: The beginning rate of deposition for this layer.

Final Thickness: The desired final thickness of this layer. The deposition phase of this

layer will end when this thickness is reached.

Time Setpoint: Sets an arbitrary time, after deposition begins, when the time setpoint

relay is activated.

Thickness Limit: Sets an arbitrary thickness when the thickness limit relay is activated.

Start Mode: Determines whether a layer begins automatically upon completion of the

previous layer. If Manual start is selected, the previous layer ends at its idle power and

waits for the user to push the Start button.

Ramp 1: During the deposition of a layer, it may be desirable to change the deposition

rate. For example, you may want to deposit slowly at first, then increase the rate once

an initial thickness is reached. Enabling rate ramps provides that capability. Once

enabled, these parameters are added to the list.

Start Thickness: The deposited thickness at which the new rate will begin.

Ramp Time: Time allowed for the rate to change from initial rate to new rate.

New Rate: The rate of deposition, which is reached at the end of Ramp 1.

Ramp 2: Two rate ramps are available for each layer. The start thickness for Ramp 2

should be greater than the start thickness for Ramp 1.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-11

3.5 Film Menus

Each film has certain characteristics that determine how it should be deposited. The

Film Menus allow you to set parameters that regulate the deposition of each film in a

certain process.

My Process 1 Editing:

Scroll Films with Knob

11. Film 11

Film Select Menu

Main

Screen

Edit

Delete

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 RATE(A/s)

0.0 POWER(%)

0.0

10. Film 10

9. Film 9

8. Film 8

7. Film 7

6. Film 6

5. Film 5

4. Film 4

3. Film 3

2. Film 2

1. Film 1

Main Screen Returns to the Main Menu.

Menu Steps back through the film menus: Film Select <–> Film Edit

<-> Film Conds/Deposit Controls. On the topmost Film Menu,

returns to the Main Menu.

Edit Displays the Film Edit Menu for the highlighted film.

Delete Deletes the highlighted film. (Note: Films cannot be deleted if

they are used in any process.)

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of films. When pressed, begins editing

of the highlighted film.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-12

The material to be deposited is the most significant film parameter. However, a film

definition also includes the setup parameters shown below:

I Term

Sensor 1

Sensor 2

Output

Pocket

Max Power

Slew Rate

Crystal Quality Disabled

10.0

76.0

Out1

0.7

Out1/Out2

On/Off

Sec.

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Film Edit Menu

Film

Conds.

Deposit

Controls

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000

POWER(

0.0

My Process 1 Editing: Aluminum

Parameter

Value

Units

P Term 50 None

D Term 0.0 Sec.

Film Tooling

100

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Menu Returns to the Film Select Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Film Conds. Displays pre/post conditioning settings (See 2.6).

Deposit Controls Displays deposition control settings (See 2.2).

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of film parameters.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-13

The Film Conds SoftKey displays these additional film conditioning settings: (Refer to

section 2.2 for definitions).

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Prev Menu Returns to the Film Edit Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of film conditioning parameters.

Ramp1 Time

Ramp2 Power

Ramp2 Time

Soak2 Time

Feed Power

Ramp Time

Feed Time

Idle Power

Ramp Time 0.950

2.90

0:00:00

10.0

75.0

Out1

0.7

h:mm:ss

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Film Conditioning Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 Editing: Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

Ramp1 Power 50 %

Soak1 Time 0.0 h:mm:ss

h:mm:ss

Chapter 3 Menus

3-14

The Deposit Controls SoftKey displays these additional film settings: (Refer to section

2.2 for deposition control definitions.)

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Prev Menu Returns to the Film Edit Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of deposition control parameters.

Capture

Setting

Error

Rate Sampling

Setting

Accuracy Based

Undefined

(Cont,Time,Acc based)

18.0

Hold

20.0

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Deposition Controls Menu

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

Current: Process 1 EDITING: Film 1

Parameter Value Units

Shutter Delay 0:01:00 h:mm:ss

Control Error (Ignore, Stop, Hold)

0.0 %

Chapter 3 Menus

3-15

A description of each film parameter follows:

P Term: The proportional term sets the gain of the control loop. High gains yield more

responsive (but potentially unstable) loops. Try a value of 50, then gradually

increase/decrease the value to respond to step changes in rate setpoint.

I Term: The integral term controls the time constant of the loop response. A small I

term, say .5 to 1 seconds, will smooth the response of most loops.

D Term: The differential term causes the loop to respond quickly to changes. Use 0 or

a very small value to avoid oscillations.

Sensor 1: Allows quartz crystal Sensor 1 to be used for the selected film. If both

sensors are assigned to a film, their readings are averaged. If two sensors are

assigned to a film, and one fails, it is excluded from measurements.

Note: If a relay is assigned to Dual Crystal Shutter in the I/O Setup Menu, Sensor 1

becomes the primary sensor and Sensor 2 a secondary sensor. Sensor 1 is used until

a crystal fail condition occurs. When Sensor 1 fails, measurement automatically

switches to Sensor 2. Sensor 2 will be used until the process completes or is aborted.

The next process run will return to Sensor 1.

Film Tooling: Compensates for sensor sensitivity to the selected material. Use Xtal

Tooling in the System Params menu to compensate for each sensor individually.

Output: Selects the control voltage output that is active for the selected layer.

Pocket: Indicates which pocket (1-8) should be used. For this parameter to have an

effect, you must assign the Pocket Relays and Pocket Ready input in System

Parameters I/O setup (see section 3.7).

Max Power: The maximum output power allowed for the selected output. The Scale

output voltage is a function of the deposition power supply input specifications, and is

set in the System Parameters menu. Max Power controls the maximum power that can

be used by this process layer.

Slew Rate: The maximum power change allowed on an output, per second. If power or

rate ramps exceed this value, an error will occur.

Crystal Quality: The maximum allowed rate deviation, from the rolling average of the

previous 16 rate readings. Each time the rate deviation exceeds the selected percent

value, a counter is incremented. Each time the deviation is within the selected value,

the counter is decremented (to 0 minimum). If the counter reaches 100 during a

process, the process is aborted. Crystal Quality settings from 0 to 9 indicate:

Chapter 3 Menus

3-16

0Disabled 512.5%

130.0% 610.0%

225.0% 77.5%

320.0% 85.0%

415.0% 92.5%

Note: The Crystal Quality setting is very sensitive to PID loop tuning. It is best to leave

Crystal Quality disabled until you are confident of your process and PID settings.

Crystal Stability: As material is deposited on the crystal, the frequency normally

decreases. However arcing, mode hopping, or external stresses may cause the crystal

frequency to increase. If the accumulated value of these positive frequency shifts (or a

single large positive shift) exceeds a threshold during a process, a crystal fail condition

is indicated.

0Disabled 5200 Hz

15000 Hz (1250 Hz single shift) 6200 Hz (100Hz single shift)

21000 Hz 7100 Hz

3500 Hz 8100 Hz (50Hz single shift)

4400 Hz 925Hz

Xtal Fail Mode: Programs the action when the last sensor assigned to a film fails.

Selecting Halt stops the process. When Timed Power is selected, the instrument uses

the last valid rate, thickness, and power readings to calculate the time required to reach

final thickness. The power is fixed at the last valid reading and deposition continues for

the calculated time. Because there are no sensor readings, this is only a rough

estimate. The more stable the process, the more accurate the estimate.

Material: Selects a material assigned to this film. As materials change, their density

and Z-Factor are updated.

Density: Sets the density for this material. Material density has a significant impact on

deposition calculations.

Z-Factor: Sets the Z-Factor, an empirically determined measure of a material’s effect

on quartz crystal frequency change.

Ramp 1: Ramp power sets the power level desired at the end of the ramp phase, in %

of Scale 1,2. Ramp time sets the time to ramp linearly from the initial power to the Ramp

power. Soak time sets the time the output remains at the ramp power level.

Ramp 2: Ramp 2 functions are the same as Ramp 1. Typically, Ramp 2 power is set

near the power level required to achieve the desired initial deposition rate.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-17

Feed: The feed phase holds output power at the level and time required to wire feed

new material.

Idle: Idle power ramps output power back to zero, or holds the material at a state that is

ready for deposition (usually the same as Ramp 2 power).

Shutter Delay: It is often desirable to obtain deposition control before the substrate

shutter opens. Enabling shutter delay requires that the system reach a specific capture

accuracy before the shutter opens. If the capture accuracy is not reached within the

shutter delay time, the process halts. Otherwise, the substrate shutter opens and

deposition begins when control accuracy has been maintained for 5 seconds. The

thickness reading is zeroed at the end of the shutter delay period.

Capture: The control accuracy (%) that must be reached to end the shutter delay.

Control Error: If the control loop cannot maintain the desired deposition rate, due to

loss of source material, excess rate ramps, or equipment malfunction, a control error

occurs. The error condition can be ignored, the process stopped (output power to 0%),

or the output power held at the same level as when the error occurred. If hold is

selected, PID control is abandoned, but the process will continue to be monitored for

thickness setpoint.

Rate Sampling: Rate sampling can extend the life of crystals. With rate sampling, the

deposition rate is sampled for a period of time, then the sensor shutter is closed. Power

is then held at the same level as the final power setting during the sample period.

? Continuous selects no sampling, the sensor shutter remains open during deposition.

? Time based sampling opens the shutter for a fixed period of time, then closes it for a

?fixed time.

? Accuracy based sampling opens and closes the shutter at the rate required to

maintain the desired accuracy during the hold phase.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-18

3.6 System Parameters Menu

The System Parameters Menu contains settings that affect the basic operation of the

SQC-122c. System parameters generally pertain to the physical setup of your vacuum

system equipment.

System Tooling

Xtal Tool 2

Simulate Mode

Min Frequency

Max Frequency

Scale 1

Scale 2

Contrast

Dev Graph Limit 20.0

1.5

2.6

2.5

6.0e+06

5.0e+06

Off

100

Volts

On/Off

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Edit System Params Menu

I / O

Setup

Exit to

Main

Edit

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

My Process 1 -> Layer 1 -> Aluminum

Parameter Value Units

Period .25 Sec

Xtal Tool 1 100 %

Volts

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save values for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

I / O Setup Displays menu for mapping of inputs and outputs.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of system parameters.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-19

Descriptions of each System Parameter follows:

Period: Sets the measurement period between .1 second (10 readings per second) and

1 second. A longer period gives higher reading accuracy, especially in low rate and low

density applications.

Period Frequency

(seconds) Resolution (Hz)

.1 .3

.25 .12

.5 .06

.75 .04

1 .03

System Tooling: Adjusts for overall sensor deposition rates that differ from the

measured substrate deposition rate.

Xtal Tool 1-2: Adjusts for sensor deposition rates that differ from the measured

substrate deposition rate, because of sensor location. If the rate/thickness reading is

low, then increase the tooling value. If the rate/thickness reading is high, then lower the

tooling value

Simulate Mode: Normal mode uses the quartz crystals as inputs to the SQC-122c for

PID calculations and source output control. Simulate mode simulates the quartz

crystals based on the crystal frequencies set on this. Simulate mode is useful for

debugging process recipes.

Min/Max Frequency: The frequency values for the quartz crystal sensors used as

inputs to the SQC-122c. The maximum frequency should be set to the frequency of a

new crystal, typically 6MHz. Sensor readings outside the min/max values cause an

error.

Scale 1 -2: The input voltage required by the deposition source power supply to

produce 100% output power. Positive or negative Scale 1,2 values are possible.

Pocket Relay: Select Single to assign a single relay to each source pocket. Select

Multi to allow relays to represent the BCD encoded value of the selected pocket.

For example, assume that a film has its Pocket parameter set to 3. In I/O Setup, set

Relay 1, 2, & 3 to Pocket 1, 2, & 3. Then if this parameter is set to Single, Relay 3 will

close when deposition begins. If this parameter is set to Multi then Relays 1 & 2 will

close (representing a binary 3).

Dev Graph Limit: Sets the upper limit for the Rate Deviation graph Y axis.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-20

Rate Alarm Low: Sets the % deviation below rate setpoint that causes an audible

alarm.

Rate Alarm High: Sets the % deviation above rate setpoint that causes an audible

alarm. The tone of the high rate alarm is lower than that of the low rate alarm.

Password Enable: If Password is enabled, the Quick Start, Film and System Menus

require a password. The Process Menu can be used to select a process, but a

password is required to make any changes on the Process Menu.

Password: If password is enabled, this parameter sets the sequence of SoftKeys to

press to enter menus. Press the desired sequence to set the password. Holding down

the top and bottom switch while powering up the SQC-122c sets the password to

“1111.”

System Time: Sets the SQC-122c clock to your local time. System time is battery

backed up. Does not compensate for daylight savings time.

System Date: Sets the SQC-122c date to your local time. System date is battery

backed up.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-21

3.7 I/O Setup

The I / O Setup SoftKey displays a menu allowing you to map the eight digital inputs

and the eight digital outputs.

I / O Mapping Menu

Parameter

My Process 1 -> Layer 1 -> Aluminum

Edit

Exit to

Main

Input 1

THICKNESS(kA)

0.000 POWER(%)

0.0

RATE(A/s)

0.0

Value

None

Input 2 None

Input 3 None

Input 4 None

Input 5 None

Input 6 None

Input 7 None

Input 8 None

Relay 1 None

Relay 2 None

Relay 3 None

Exit to Main Returns to the Main Menu.

Prev Menu Returns to the System Parameters Menu.

Edit Selects the highlighted parameter for edit. SoftKey functions

change to:

Next: Store parameter and move to next for editing.

Cancel:

Stop editing and

undo changes to selected parameter.

Enter: Stop editing and save value for selected parameter.

Control Knob: Turn to adjust value. Push to store value and

move to next parameter.

Control Knob Scrolls through the list of inputs and relays.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-22

In the I/O Setup Menu, any number of “events” can be mapped to the eight digital inputs

and eight relay outputs. Options are set by selecting a relay or input and then turning

the control knob to select the desired setting. The following explains each event:

Relays Explanation (closes when)

Source 1 Shutter Deposit phase for films set to Output 1.

Source 2 Shutter Deposit phase for films set to Output 2.

Sensor 1 Shutter Shutter Delay and Deposit phases of films set to Sensor 1.

Sensor 2 Shutter Shutter Delay and Deposit phases of films set to Sensor 2.

All Crystal Fail All sensors assigned to this film have failed.

Sensor 1 Fail Sensor 1 is assigned to this film, and has failed.

Sensor 2 Fail Sensor 2 is assigned to this film, and has failed.

PreCond Phase Process is in Ramp1, Soak1, Ramp2, or Soak2 phase.

Deposit Phase Process is in Deposit phase.

SoakHold Phase Process is in Soak/Hold phase.

Process Active Process is running (not stopped).

Stopped Process is stopped (not running).

Manual Mode Process is in Manual mode (not under PID control).

Max Power Active output is at maximum power (out of material?).

Time Setpoint The process has been in Deposit phase the indicated time.

Thickness Setpoint Thickness setpoint reached. Resets on start of next Layer.

Final Thickness Final thickness reached. Resets on start of next Layer.

Pocket 1-8 Source pocket # (Single Mode) or BCD bit # (Multi mode)

Dual Crystal Shutter Primary sensor in a dual sensor has failed.

None This relay is not assigned to any event.

Inputs Explanation (high input causes)

Abort Process Abort the process. Can only restart at Layer 1.

Start Process Start the process at Layer 1.

Stop Layer Stop the active layer.

Restart Layer Start the active layer.

Start Next Layer Start the next layer.

Soak Hold Delay the start of deposition.

Force Final Thickness End deposition.

Zero Thickness Reset thickness reading to zero.

Zero Time Reset time setpoint counter to zero.

Start Process 1-25 Start the selected process.

Pocket Ready The source indexer is on the desired pocket.

None This input is not assigned.

Chapter 3 Menus

3-23

This page left blank for your notes.

Chapter 4 Options

4-1

4.0 Introduction

This section covers the installation of optional accessories.

4.1 Option Card

No option cards are available for the SQC-122c, although the rear panel has locations

for an expansion card. To expand the SQC-122c, the unit can be upgraded to an

SQC-222. Contact Sigma for information on this factory-only upgrade.

4.2 Full Rack Extender Installation

The Full Rack Extender option (PN 900-007) mounts a single SQC-122c into a full width

19” rack space.

Follow the steps below to assemble the extender and mount the SQC-122c:

Remove SQC-122c

Mounting Ear Determine on which side of the SQC-122c you want to attach

the rack extender. If a rack mount ear is attached to the

SQC-122c on that side, remove the two 10-32 flat head

screws that mount the ear, then remove the rack mount ear.

Assemble the

Extender Assemble the extender “box” using the eight 6-32 flat head

screws, two end panels, and two main panels. Thread two

socket head captive panel screws from the inside of one side

of the extender. Continue to thread the captive screws until

their threads are completely exposed on one side.

Attach the Extender Place the extender next to the SQC-122c, and thread the

captive screws into the SQC-122c threaded holes that were

previously used to mount the rack ear. Tighten the captive

screws to secure the extender to the SQC-122c.

Attach the Mounting

Ears Attach the mounting ear previously removed from the SQC-

122c to the extender using the same10-32 flat head screws. If

rack mount ears were not already attached to the SQC-122c,

attach the other mounting ear also.

Mount the

SQC-122c Slide the entire assembly into an empty 5 ¼” high 19” rack

mount space. Secure the assembly with four 10-32 rack

screws (not supplied).

Appendix

A. Material Parameters

Material Density ZFactor Material Density ZFactor

Aluminum 2.73 1.08 Magnesium Fluoride 3 1

Aluminum Oxide 3.97 1Manganese 7.2 0.377

Antimony 6.62 0.768 Manganese Sulfide 3.99 0.94

Arsenic 5.73 0.966 Mercury 13.46 0.74

Barium 3.5 2.1 Molybdenum 10.2 0.257

Beryllium 1.85 0.543 Neodymium Fluoride 6.506 1

Bismuth 9.8 0.79 Neodymium Oxide 7.24 1

Bismuth Oxide 8.9 1Nickel 8.91 0.331

Boron 2.54 0.389 Niobium 8.57 0.493

Cadmium 8.64 0.682 Niobium Oxide 4.47 1

Cadmium Selenium 5.81 1Palladium 12 0.357

Cadmium Sulfide 4.83 1.02 Platinum 21.4 0.245

Cadmium Teluridium 5.85 0.98 Potassium Chloride 1.98 2.05

Calcium 1.55 2.62 Rhenium 21.04 0.15

Calcium Fluoride 3.18 0.775 Rhodium 12.41 0.21

Carbon Diamond 3.52 0.22 Samarium 7.54 0.89

Carbon Graphite 2.25 3.26 Scandium 30.91

Cerium Fluoride 6.16 1Selenium 4.82 0.864

Cerium Oxide 7.13 1Silicon 2.32 0.712

Chromium 7.2 0.305 Silicon Dioxide 2.2 1.07

Chromium Oxide 5.21 1Silicon Oxide 2.13 0.87

Cobalt 8.71 0.343 Silver 10.5 0.529

Copper 8.93 0.437 Silver Bromide 6.47 1.18

Copper Sulfide 4.6 0.82 Silver Chloride 5.56 1.32

Copper Sulfide B 5.8 0.67 Sodium 0.97 4.8

Copper Sulfide A 5.6 0.69 Sodium Chloride 2.17 1.57

Dysprosium 8.54 0.6 Sulfur 2.07 2.29

Erbium 9.05 0.74 Tantalum 16.6 0.262

Gadolinium 7.89 0.67 Tantalum Oxide 8.2 0.3

Gallium 5.93 0.593 Tellurium 6.25 0.9

Gallium Arsenide 5.31 1.59 Terbium 8.27 0.66

Germanium 5.35 0.516 Thallium 11.85 1.55

Gold 19.3 .381 Thorium Fluoride 6.32 1

Hafnium 13.1 0.36 Tin 7.3 0.724

Hafnium Oxide 9.63 1Titanium 4.5 0.628

Holnium 8.8 0.58 Titanium Oxide 4.9 1

Indium 7.3 0.841 Titanium Oxide IV 4.26 0.4

Indium Intimnide 5.76 0.769 Tungsten 19.3 0.163

Indium Oxide 7.18 1Tungsten Carbide 15.6 0.151

Iridium 22.4 0.129 Uranium 18.7 0.238

Iron 7.86 0.349 Vanadium 5.96 0.53

Lanthanum 6.17 0.92 Ytterbium 6.98 1.13

Lanthanum Fluoride 5.94 1Yttrium 4.34 0.835

Lanthanum Oxide 6.51 1Yttrium Oxide 5.01 1

Lead 11.3 1.13 Zinc 7.04 0.514

Lead Sulfide 7.5 0.566 Zinc Oxide 5.61 0.556

Lithium 0.53 5.9 Zinc Selenide 5.26 0.722

Lithium Fluoride 2.64 0.774 Zinc Sulfide 4.09 0.775

Magnesium 1.74 1.61 Zirconium Oxide 5.6 1.001

Appendix

B. Specifications

Measurement

Number of Sensors

Frequency Range

Frequency Accuracy

Frequency Resolution

Rate Accuracy

Rate Resolution

Thickness Accuracy

Thickness Resolution

Measurement Period

4.0 MHz to 6.0 MHz

.01% @ 2 readings/sec.

.06 Hz @ 2 readings/sec

.5% typical

.01/.1 ?/s

.5% typical

1 ?

.1 to 1 sec.

Source

Number of Sources

Control Voltage

Resolution

0 to ±10V into 2k? load

15 bits

Digital I/O

Digital Inputs

Functions

Input Rating

Relay Outputs

Functions

Relay Rating

User Programmed (See Chapter 3)

5VDC, non-isolated

User Programmed (See Chapter 3)

30Vrms or 30VDC, 2A maximum

General Specifications

Mains Power Supply

Power Consumption

Operating & Transportation

Environment

Storage Environment

Rack Dimensions (HxWxD)

Weight

100-120/200-240~, ±10% nominal

50/60 Hz

25W

0?C to 50?C

0 to 80% RH non-condensing

0 to 2,000 meters

Indoor Use Only

Class 1 Equipment (Grounded Type)

Suitable for Continuous Operation

Ordinary Protection (not protected

?against harmful ingress of moisture)

Pollution Degree II

Installation (Overvoltage) Category II

?for transient overvoltages

-40?C to 70?C

5.23 in. x 8.4 in. x 10.0 in.

132.8mm x 213.4m x 254.0mm

4 pounds (1.8 kg)

Appendix

Display

Graphs Rate, Deviation, Power

Readouts Thickness, Rate, Power

Process Parameters (a Process is a sequence of layers)

# Processes 25

# Films 25

# Layers (total all processes) 250

Layer Parameters (Layer is a Film, plus these values)

Initial Rate 0.0 to 999.9 ?/sec.

Final Thickness 0.0 to 999.9 ?

Time Setpoint 0 to 30000 sec.

Thickness Limit 0.0 to 999.9 ?

Start Mode Auto/Manual

# Rate Ramps 2

Rate Ramp Start 0.0 to 999.9 ?

Rate Ramp Time 0 to 1000 sec.

New Rate 0.0 to 999.9 ?/sec.

Film Parameters (Film is a Material, plus these values)

Material 100 stored

Density 0.40 to 99.99 gm/cm3

Z-Factor 0.100 to 9.900

P Term 1 to 9999

I Term 0 to 99.9 sec.

D Term 0 to 99.9 sec.

Sensor (1,2) On/Off

Output 1 or 2

Pocket 1 to 8

Max Power 0.0 to 100.0 %

Slew Rate 0.0 to 100.0 %/sec.

Crystal Quality Disabled to 30%

Crystal Stability Disabled to 5000 Hz

Crystal Fail Mode Halt or Timed Power

Ramp1, Ramp2, Feed Ramp, Feed, Idle Ramp Time 0 to 30000 sec.

Soak1, Soak2, Feed, Idle Power 0.0 to 100.0 %

Shutter Delay Time 0 to 200 sec.

Shutter Delay Error 0.0 to 30.0 %

Control Error Ignore/Stop/Hold

Control Error Setting 0 to 30.0 %

Rate Sampling Continuous/Time/Accuracy

Sample Time 10.0 to 999.0 sec.

Hold Time 10.0 to 999.0 sec.

Appendix

C. I/O Connections

A 25 pin D-sub connector, located on the rear of the SQC-122c, provides Input/Output

connections. Refer to Section 3.6 for relay and input functional assignments.

Inputs can be activated either by connecting to a switch and shorting to Ground, or they

can be driven by a TTL compatible signal.

WARNING: These are not isolated inputs! The voltage level applied must be limited to

between 0 and +5 volts with respect to Ground.

WARNING: Output relays are rated for 30Vrms or 30VDC, at 2A maximum. Proper

fusing, and adequate wiring insulation and separation, should be provided to assure

these limits are not exceeded.

The pin assignments for the rear panel mounted I/O connector are shown below:

113

14 25

I/O Connector Wiring

Relay Pins Input Pins

Relay 1 14,15 Input 1 16

Relay 2 1,2 Input 2 17

Relay 3 3,4 Input 3 18

Relay 4 5,6 Input 4 19

Relay 5 7,8 Input 5 20

Relay 6 9,10 Input 6 21

Relay 7 11,12 Input 7 22

Relay 8 13,25 Input 8 23

Ground 24

Appendix

A Y adapter cable can be used to provide compatibility with older (non color) models of

the SQC-122, as shown below. Contact Sigma for information on purchasing this

adapter, or other custom I/O cables.

Appendix

D. Handheld Remote Controller

The Handheld Controller provides the capability of adjusting output power remotely

when the SQC-122c is in Manual Mode.

ABORT

Sigma

instruments?

Handheld Controller

To use the handheld controller, attach the cable from the handheld controller to the

Remote jack on the SQC-122c front panel. Select a Process using the SQC-122c front

panel SoftKeys. Press Next Menu until the Auto/Manual SoftKey is displayed. Press

Auto/Manual to change to Manual power mode (SoftKey shows Manual/Auto). Press

Start to begin the film deposition.

You can now use either the front panel Control Knob or the Handheld Controller to

adjust output power. Pressing Abort on the handheld controller stops the layer and

returns output power to 0%.

Appendix

E. EC Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturer’s Name: Sigma Instruments

Manufacturer’s Address: 1318 Duff Drive

Fort Collins, CO 80524 USA

declares that the product:

Product Name: Deposition Rate Controller

Product Model: SQC-122c

Product Options: All Options

conforms to the following Directives:

73/23/EEC (93/68/EEC) Low Voltage Directive

89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive

uses the following standards:

EN 61010-1 Safety of Electrical Equipment for

Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use

EN 50081-2 Generic Standard for Emissions

EN 55011 Radiated and Conducted Emissions (Class A)

EN 50082-2 Generic Standard for Immunity

EN 61000-4-2 Electrostatic Discharge

EN 61000-4-3 Radiated RF Electro-Magnetic Field

EN 61000-4-4 Electrical Fast Transient/Burst

EN 61000-4-6 Conducted RF

ENV 50204 Radiated RF

and complies with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements.

Gary L. Halcomb

President

Sigma Sqc 122C Users Information Guide G

SQC-122c to the manual a8639fb5-f5fc-4d70-b449-df3c6eb7d055

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