Evactron® E50: Plasma De-Contaminators with Alternate Gas Configuration

Evactron’s E50 De-Contaminators are high performance, small, yet simplified plasma cleaners developed specifically for ion and electron beam instruments, such as SEMs, TEMsand FIBs.

Thanks to its compact design, the EvactronE50 Plasma Radical Source (PRS) is a multipurpose solution for load locks, sample preparation chambers, or SEM/FIB chambers. It offers quick, effectiveand strong cleaning throughout a wide range of pressures, thereby enabling artifact-free, high quality pictures and enhanced efficiency of sample analysis.

There are two configurations available in the Evactron E50 alternate gas PRS—an ultra-high purity filter (3-nm pore size) model to satisfy the rigorous requirements of the semiconductor sector SEMI F38-0699 directive and the precision filter (0.5-μm pore size) model for ususal laboratory conditions.

The in-line filters prevent the entry of particulates, generated from gas feedlines, into the plasma stream. Alternative gases, which have been confirmed, are CDA, O₂, Ar/H₂, Ar/O₂, H₂/N₂and N₂. The use of 100% H₂ is notrecommended for safety reasons.

E50 Alternate Gas System Features

RF power—75 W peak, up to 50 W continuous

Energy-efficient radiofrequency hollow cathode plasma (RFHC)

Programmable power, recipes, cleaning timeand number of cycles

Dual-action cleaning available with plasma and UV afterglow

High vacuum 'pop'ignition available

Optional external interlock connection available

Bluetooth Android tablet or wired touchpad programming

TMP-compatible and sophisticated venting is not needed

A wide range of pressure operation—ranging from 0.3 Pa/2 mTorr to 80 Pa/600 mTorr

Plasma gases include O₂, Ar/H₂, Ar/O₂, CDA, H₂/N₂and N₂

Push-button cleaning operation is available

Complies with TUV, RoHS, CE, NRTLand SEMI standards

Does not harm sensitive components—no sputter etch

Allows quick cleaning that is over 100 times quicker compared to the early generation Evactron models

Match or gas flow changes are not needed for plasma ignition

PRS can be fixed on the load lock or the SEM chamber

Image Credit: Evactron (XEI Scientific)

The Evactron E50 Plasma De-Contaminator is fitted with wireless tablet programming and designed to prevent hydrocarbon contamination from high vacuum chambers, such as SEMs and FIBs. The Evactron E50’s compact design suits a majority of the SEM and FIB models and load locks.

The E50 makes use of air and alternate gas plasma with UV afterglow to reduce hydrocarbon contamination quickly.

Specifications of Evactron E50 Alternate Gas System

Desktop controller provided with push-button operation

RF power—35 to 75 W at 13.56 MHz RFHC

Hardware interlock

Bluetooth communication package and android tablet available

Provides 100 to 240 VAC 50/60 Hz input

CE, NRTL, RoHS, SEMIand TUV compliant

Chassis dimensions—width × height × depth: 17.2″ × 3.5″ × 8.6″ (44 × 8.9 × 22 cm)

E50 E-TC Alternate Gas System

Image Credit: Evactron (XEI Scientific)

The Evactron E50 E-TC Plasma De-Contaminator was developed particularly for facilities that require a wired touchpad interface for programming. The touchpad (134 × 112 × 69 mm) is connected to the controller via an RS-232 cable. The features of the Evactron E50 E-TC are similar to that of the Evactron E50, where air and alternate gas plasma with UV afterglow are used to reduce hydrocarbon contamination, offering quick results.

Specifications of Evactron E50 E-TC System

Hardware interlock

The tethered touchpad communication package is available

RF power—35 to 75 W at 13.56 MHz RFHC

Desktop controller with push-button operation

Chassis dimensions—width × height × depth: 17.2″ × 3.5″ × 8.6″ (44 × 8.9 × 22 cm)

RoHS, TUV, NRTL, SEMIand CE compliant

Provides 100 to 240 VAC 50/60 Hz input

Plasma chemical etch plus UV active desorption

External hollow cathode plasma radical source

No sputter etch damage or debris

Easy to use sample and chamber cleaning

Plasma strikes at high vacuum, no venting required

Image Credit: Evactron (XEI Scientific)

Plasma cleaning of the sample prior to TKD experiments affords many advantages. The improvement in pattern quality and enhanced measurement efficiency is needed for extended experiments, which can include fast and multiple scans at the same sample position (e.g., for repeated in-situ heating or straining experiments). The advantage of plasma cleaning is recommended for all high resolution TKD experiments. Plasma cleaning the sample inside the microscope chamber is recommended since the chamber, detectors and the holder are cleaned simultaneously.