Oxford PECVD

About

Oxford PlasmaPro System 100 PECVD tool in Deposition Bay 1

This is an Oxford Instruments PlasmaPro System 100 plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) tool optimized for depositing high-quality SiO₂, Si₃N₄, or SiOₓNᵧ dielectric films with excellent uniformity and control over properties like refractive index, stress, and etch rate.

Hardware: Capacitively-coupled parallel-plate RF plasma system (13.56 MHz primary RF + low-frequency option). Gas is delivered via a showerhead over a heated electrode. Load lock for wafer transfer. No wafer clamping; fixed electrode height. Electrode diameter: 240 mm. Substrate heater up to 400°C.

Gases:

• 2% SiH₄ in N₂ (silicon precursor, diluted for safety)
• NH₃ (ammonia – nitrogen precursor for nitrides)
• N₂O (nitrous oxide – oxygen precursor for oxides)
• N₂ (purge/carrier gas)
• He (carrier/diluent)
• CF₄ (chamber cleaning/etching)

Film Properties:

• SiO₂: Deposited using 2% SiH₄/N₂ + N₂O at 350°C; typical deposition rates ~492 Å/min depending on recipe.
• Si₃N₄: Deposited using 2% SiH₄/N₂ + NH₃; denser films at higher temperatures; stress tunable via gas ratios/RF power.
• SiOₓNᵧ: Tunable oxynitrides by adjusting N₂O/NH₃ ratios.

Films suitable for passivation, masks, insulators, AR coatings, etc.

Applications: Dielectric passivation, etch masks, electrical isolation, optical coatings, capacitor dielectrics.

Usage: Select/load recipes; input deposition time based on calibrated rates. Check current rates and uniformity via process control data or test runs.

Detailed Specifications

• Model: PlasmaPro System 100/1 PECVD
• Manufacturer: OXFORD INSTRUMENSTS
• Serial Number: 94-220205 (PlasmaPro System 100/1 PECVD)
• Year Build: 2015
• Location: Deposition bay 1
• Substrate size: Up to 6" wafers (pieces/smaller possible) Default: 4'' wafers
• Electrode: 240 mm diameter, heated up to 400°C
• Plasma: RF Power (max) 300 W (13.56 MHz), LF Power (max) 500 W
• Features: Load lock, no clamping (fixed height)
• Base pressure: Low mTorr range (high vacuum capability)
• APC(Pressure Controller): (max) 2000 mTorr
• Gases: 2% SiH₄/N₂, NH₃, N₂O, N₂, He, CF₄
• Other: Excellent film uniformity, stress/refractive index control, in-situ cleaning possible

Documentation

• SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
• Operating Instructions (PDF)
• Training required – contact lab staff

Recipes & Data

• Standard Recipes: Check related recipes or internal process logs for calibrated PECVD processes.
• Process Control: Monitor deposition rates, uniformity (e.g. via Filmetrics F20 or ellipsometer), and particles after runs.
• Example uniformity/particle data: Perform DepCals and particle scans as per lab protocols.

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