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Tergeo plasma cleaner operator’s manual
Revision: B3, Year 2020
Chapter 8
Operation
8.1 General guidance.
Tergeo plasma cleaner can be operated manually by setting rf power, gas flow rate,
cleaning time or by executing a recipe. We strongly recommend user operate the plasma
cleaner in the recipe mode. For direct/immersion mode plasma cleaning, impedance
matching is required to optimize the recipe to the optimal conditions. The system will not
automatically carry out impedance matching if the user operates the system manually.
Therefore, the plasma cleaner may not be operated in the optimal condition if the user
manually starts the plasma in the direct/immersion mode. Impedance matching is not
required for the downstream/remote mode. So manual operation in the downstream/remote
mode doesn’t much difference with downstream mode recipe execution except that the
system can automatically increase the rf power to ignite the plasma in the recipe mode.
If the user needs to try a direct/immersion mode recipe quickly, the user can simply modify
the recipe on the left side of the main screen. We recommend the user to set cleaning time
to be more than 2 minutes when a new recipe is created. Whenever a new recipe is
executed for the first time, the system will carry out the impedance matching for the new
recipe. The impedance matching may take more than 1 minute. Once the recipe is
optimized, the user can then load the samples and run the optimized recipe. The recipe
created on the main screen will not be saved in the system memory. If a recipe for a
certain application is finalized, the user should save it in the recipe library.
During the course of the plasma cleaning, the gas composition and chamber pressure may
change because of outgassing from chamber and samples, the chemical reaction with
samples. The plasma impedance may change during the plasma cleaning. If the user
executes the recipe manually, the system will not automatically compensate the change of
the plasma impedance. However, if the user executes a recipe, the system will monitor the
plasma status. If the system detects the change of the plasma intensity, it will automatically
carry out a quick plasma impedance matching to maintain the strong plasma condition.
8.2 Sequence of operation.
1)
Load the sample
: Open the front cap of the sample chamber by rotating the front cap in CCW
direction, then pull it out. If the system is in pumped down state, please vent the sample
chamber first. Once the front cap is off, place the samples on the sample holder and insert the
sample holder into the sample chamber. Then close the door by aligning the pins on the front
cap with the slots on the door, insert the cap and rotate it in CW direction.
2)
Turn on the vacuum pump
. If the vacuum pump is connected to the back of the plasma cleaner,
the pump can be turned on/off by the touchscreen user interface as long as the power button
on vacuum pump is always ON. If the Edwards nXDS6i and nXDS10i is connected to the plasma
cleaner, please make sure the nXDS6i/nXDS10i dry pump has been set in the autostart mode.
Please refer to the manual of nXDS6i and nXDS10i dry pump on how to set it into autostart
mode. If the power of vacuum pump is not connect the plasma source, the user has to manually
turn on/off the vacuum pump with the switch on the pump.
