Key features
Premium stainless steel UHV vacuum chamber: The design fully utilizes ConFlat (CF) flanges with copper gaskets, completely eliminating structural gas permeation to ensure maximum cleanliness for the processing environment.
Advanced TORUS® sputtering source technology: Integrates KJLC's proprietary sputtering cathodes with a flexible magnet design, maximizing the uniformity of the thin film and extending the lifespan of the material target.
Superior multi-stage vacuum pumping system: A synchronized combination of high-capacity turbomolecular pumps and ion pump options helps maintain extremely low pressure at the ultra-high vacuum range stably.
Outstanding high-temperature sample heating stage: Ability to heat the sample substrate up to 800°C combined with continuous rotation and RF/DC polarization mechanisms helps tightly control the crystal structure as well as the internal stress of the film.
Advanced eKLIPSE™ automatic control system: The software manages a visual graphical interface, automating the entire operational process through pre-established formulas, ensuring the repeatability of the coating batch at a perfect level.
Detailed description
The Kurt J. Lesker Lab-Line UHV Sputter Platform system is a thin film deposition platform using magnetron sputtering designed for advanced materials research, microelectronics, and optoelectronics that require an ultra-high vacuum (Ultra High Vacuum – UHV) environment. The system operates on the principle of creating and maintaining a vacuum environment at a base pressure down to the range of 10⁻⁹ Torr before the deposition process is carried out. This level of vacuum significantly reduces the presence of residual gases such as water vapor, oxygen, and other impurities in the processing chamber, thereby limiting unwanted reactions during the thin film formation process and enhancing the purity of the deposited material layer.
Unlike many conventional sputtering systems that use high vacuum (High Vacuum – HV) technology, the Lab-Line UHV is designed to ultra-high vacuum standards with all connections using ConFlat (CF) flanges combined with metal gaskets. The system is integrated with a bakeout jacket that allows heating of the vacuum chamber to promote the desorption of gas adsorbed on the chamber walls, shortening the time to reach the required base pressure and improving the stability of the vacuum environment during operation.
The system is equipped with high-performance TORUS® magnetron sputtering sources from Kurt J. Lesker Company. The optimized magnetic design helps maintain stable plasma even at low working pressures, while enhancing the utilization efficiency of target materials and improving the uniformity of the thin film. The ability to operate at low pressure also contributes to reducing the likelihood of trapping inert gases during film formation, thereby improving the quality of the structure and material properties.
A notable advantage of the system is the ability to co-sputter (Co-Sputtering) from multiple different material sources, supporting the research and fabrication of alloys, multi-component materials, or functional films with precisely adjustable compositions. The design of the processing chamber with optimized shielding mechanisms and particle beam direction helps to limit cross-contamination between material sources while increasing the repeatability of the fabrication process.
The entire operating process is managed through the eKLIPSE™ control software, allowing for the construction and automation of the technological process, controlling source power, process gas flow, chamber pressure, and other important operating parameters through a closed-loop feedback mechanism. The system supports real-time process data recording, contributing to enhanced result reproducibility and ensuring stability between deposition batches.
With these characteristics, the Lab-Line UHV Sputter Platform is a suitable solution for the research and development of high-quality thin film materials in the fields of semiconductors, sensors, magnetic materials, optoelectronics, MEMS components, and advanced nanotechnology applications.