Plasma Cleaner: Evactron® Model 25 Zephyr

The Evactron^® Model 25 Zephyr is a plasma cleaner designed for in-situ cleaning of chambers and samples in vacuum chambers and electron microscopes.

The Evactron^® plasma cleaner includes a dual-vacuum mode that enables TMP or roughing pump operation for microscopes with either diffusion-pumped or turbo-pump vacuum systems.

For all cleaning requirements, the Evactron^® Model 25 Zephyr features a solid-state Micropirani Gauge. A table-top controller/RF generator with automatic RF/pressure level control, an RF Plasma Hollow Cathode Radical Source (PRS), a manual, cablesand a limited warranty of five years.

System Features

Completely adjustable ignition and operating pressures

Dual-action cleaning using UV afterglow and plasma

Pirani gauge for tracking chamber vacuum

Turns on during pump down, which is safe for diffusion and turbo-pump operations

Does not cause damage to sensitive components—no sputter etch

Small desktop controller with a simple onebutton operation

Complies to SEMI, NRTL, CEand TUV standards

Programmable power, number of cyclesand cleaning time

Limited warranty of five years

Room air is used as a gas source for low operating cost and ease of use

Specifications of Evactron^® Model 25 Zephyr System

RF generator is harmonically suppressed and stabilized

RF power ranges between 10 to 20 W at 13.56 MHz

Uses room air for the production of oxygen radicals

Includes a KF 40 vacuum mounting flange

Comes with a vacuum safety interlock

Fixed RF Match fitted on an RF feedthrough

MKS MicroPirani transducer enables vacuum measurement

Serial interface, fault display, readoutand log

Servo-controlled air bleed valve for pressure and flow adjustments

LEDs: Power on, Plasma on, RF on, enable switchand Fault; LCD is available for line display

Electronic chassis—height × width× depth: 5.5″ × 9.5″ × 9.5″ (14 × 24.1 × 24.1 cm)

Includes 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz inputand 150 W

Image Credit:Evactron (XEI Scientific)

Image Credit:Evactron (XEI Scientific)

A nanoflight® movie of hydrocarbon removal was made in a Tescan MIRA3 SEM equipped with an Evactron® plasma cleaner. The movie sequence shows the removal of deposited hydrocarbon layers on a silicon wafer, four fields with different thicknesses, made by growing the layers for 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 hours at 2kV. Typically, vacuum chambers can be cleaned with the Turbo Plasma™ Cleaning process at turbo molecular pressures of 10^-2 to 10^-3 Torr with cleaning times of 2 - 10 minutes to maintain pristine conditions. Vacuum levels return to normal operating pressures in < 20 minutes.

Image Credit:Evactron (XEI Scientific)