Secondary Ion Source

All standard Reticle platforms include an additional gridless end-Hall ion source with hollow cathode neutralizer. The end-Hall source is optimized for substrate cleaning/etching, ion assisted deposition, or reactive IBSD processes. For processes that require deep substrate etching, a selection of gridded DC or RF-ICP ion sources are also available.

Target Carousel

The deposition ion source is directed toward a material target which has been optimized in both size and position for the required deposition geometry. Targets are water cooled for improved process stability, and continuously rotate to prevent beam texturing. For multi-layer depositions, the carousel can be automatically indexed between targets, with up to 8 positions available. Target rotation and carousel indexing each have torque-sense, preventing any process problems due to slips or jams in rotation.

Vacuum Environment

Reticle can be configured for both high and ultra-high vacuum environments. High speed, magnetically levitated turbomolecular pumps serve as the primary high vacuum pump. An optional cryogenic pump improves base pressure, pumping speed, and can be isolated from the chamber during reactive processes with oxygen. Low-profile chamber bake out heaters remove moisture from the chamber walls and shielding, improving base pressure and overall process stability.

Planetary Motion

Planetary rotation integrates a third axis of motion to the variable angle stage. The size, position, and gear ratio of each planet are optimized to provide Reticle’s best possible film thickness uniformity.

Uniformity Shaping

Dynamic uniformity shaping is achieved using a flux correction shield between the deposition source and the substrate. The shape of each correction shield can be modeled and empirically optimized for any process. Each correction shield can be tilted in-situ to find the perfect balance between film uniformity and deposition rate.

Load Lock

With the Ion beam sputter deposition system, a secondary vacuum chamber can be annexed, allowing for a significant improvement in throughput. Keeping the main chamber pumped down lowers the chance of contamination and eliminates the need for vent and pump down cycles for sample changes. While keeping the main chamber at its base pressure, you can load multiple samples into the load lock chamber, enter all recipes in Aeres, and let the system take care of transferring samples into the main chamber for processing.

Apex Optical Monitor

In-situ optical monitoring is available through Angstrom’s Apex optical monitoring package. Our unique design allows for direct or indirect monitoring of the variable angle stage, eliminating the need for tooling factors or a witness glass changer. Learn more about Apex here.

In-Situ Ellipsometry

In-situ ellipsometry provides critical information on the performance of an optical film while it is being deposited. Layer termination from ellipsometric data is fully integrated to Aeres. A variety of multi-wavelength and spectroscopic ellipsometry solutions are available with the ion beam sputter deposition system.

Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM)

A shuttered QCM located near the substrate provides feedback on the deposition rate and physical thickness of the growing film. Commonly, a QCM is used to calibrate an initial deposition rate before completing the layer thickness under time control with a fixed beam current. Shuttering the crystal will drastically extend its operating lifetime during long processes or on systems with a load lock.