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Document No.: 1P0446-1 Rev. B, April 7, 2014
26
Section 8 -
Service and Maintenance
This section gives information on the warranty and details on servicing the equipment. Recommended
maintenance and part replacement procedures are outlined. A trouble shooting guide is also included.
8.1
Requesting Service
If a unit is to be returned to PVA TePla America Inc. for service or for any other reason, obtain an
Return Material Authorization number (RMA) through the PVA TePla America Inc. Customer Service
Department, US. Display the RMA number on your shipping label. A unit received without an RMA
number visible will be rejected.
Prior to crating, remove the vacuum pump and drain all oil from the pump. Ensure that the oil is
removed by tilting the pump to remove residual oil.
Replace the pump in the IoN 3 MHz and
reconnect the back panel.
Re-pack the system in its original shipping container. If this is no longer available, take special
precautions to avoid damage to the system. An approved shipping container may be purchased by
calling PVA TePla America Inc., US.
If the system is under warranty, the only charges are shipping costs. If the system is out of warranty,
a purchase order will be required and you will be billed for all parts and service.
If you have any questions, please call the PVA TePla America Inc. Customer Service Department.
8.2
User Maintenance
The required user-performed maintenance for the IoN 3 MHz Plasma System is minimal. However,
regular attention to the suggested maintenance tasks listed below will help to ensure proper
operation of the system. To ensure maximum performance and process repeatability, the following
items should be checked at regular intervals.
CLEANING THE CHAMBER
Note:
Make sure you unplug the IoN 3 MHz before cleaning the chamber.
The chamber should be cleaned periodically with isopropyl alcohol or another suitable cleaning agent.
The cleaning schedule will depend on frequency of use, type of materials processed, and choice of
process gas.
After cleaning the chamber, always generate a plasma for at least five minutes to remove any
residual contamination.
One means of determining chamber cleanliness in the absence of visual indications, is to pump the
chamber down to its minimum achievable base pressure and record that value, and then generate a
plasma for a 5 minute period. Pump the chamber down to its minimum achievable base pressure a
second time and record that value. Compare this value to the first value. If there has been a notable
decrease from the first pump-down to the second it is an indication that cleaning of the chamber has
occurred while running the plasma. Repeat this process until no notable difference is noted in
minimum base pressure from one test to the next.