Plasma and Characterization Equipment
While CCL-Diamond focuses on process, application and system development, state-of-the-art plasma and characterization equipment is being offered through its partner organizations. Comprehensive technology packages that include the equipment as well as process development are available. The machines are on site available for demonstration and evaluation. Process development services are offered prior to or in conjunction with purchasing equipment.
The following system technologies are offered:
- Plasma CVD and Etching Systems
- Laser Arc PVD Plasma Module
- Laser Induced Surface Acoustic Wave Tester
Plasma CVD and Etching Systems
CCL-Diamond collaborates with partner Lambda Technologies Inc. to offer comprehensive microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition and etching technology packages for diamond synthesis and processing. Systems available for on-site demonstration and process development include:
- 2.45 GHz microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition machines for substrates up to 75 mm in diameter
- 915 MHz microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition machines for substrates up to 200 mm in diameter
- 2.45 GHz microwave plasma assisted electron cyclotron resonance etcher
These machines are based on a tunable microwave applicator design, which offers advantages for tailored process development and manufacturing:
- The diamond synthesis process is adaptable to various substrate materials, dimensions etc.
- The system operate very power efficient and thus requiring smaller power supplies and less footprint than competing designs
Laser-Arc PVD Plasma Module
CCL-Diamond collaborates with the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam Technology to offer Laser Arc plasma sources for the synthesis of superhard amorphous carbon coatings. The Laser-Arc system technology is based on laser-controlled high current pulsed cathodic vacuum arc deposition. It is a stand-alone unit and designed to fit various commercially available PVD coating machines as an add-on module (i.e. comparable to the addition of sputtering source). The Laser-Arc module includes:
- A cylindrical target (~50 cm / ~ 20” in length) made of high purity carbon
- A solid-state pulsed laser (wavelength 1.06 µm, pulse duration 150 ns, average pulse power density 15 mJ/cm2) with optical scanner system
- A pulsed power supply capable of generating 2000 A peak currents with repetition rates up to 1.8 kHz
During the deposition process the pulsed laser beam is vertically scanned across the graphite cylinder surface, which is simultaneously rotating. Each laser pulse generates a small graphite plasma, which ignites a vacuum arc discharge. The arc plasma burns approximately 700 times longer than the laser pulse and thus makes the process significantly more than conventional pulsed laser deposition. Typical deposition rates are up to 6 µm/h in direct deposition and up to 2 µm/h with threefold substrate rotation. Due to the cathode rotation in combination with the scanning motion the target material is very well utilized. The Laser-Arc deposition process produces very dense and hard (30 – 60 GPa) amorphous coatings with an sp3 content of up to 80%. Deposition at room temperature is possible and enables the coating of temperature-sensitive materials such as plastics, special alloys or heat-treated steels. Coating thicknesses of more than 10 µm with good adhesion have been demonstrated on a range of substrate materials.
Laser Induced Surface Acoustic Wave Tester
CCL-Diamond works with the Fraunhofer Institute for Materials and Beam Technology to offer a surface acoustic wave tester (LAwave). The laser activated non-destructive testing technique provides access to critical material properties of only a few nanometer thin films such as the Young’s modulus and density/porosity of thin films and surface damage layers. By measuring the propagation characteristics of a laser induced surface acoustic wave the tool analyzes coatings and surface modification from a few nanometer to millimeters in thickness. The technique has been successfully applied for:
- Measuring the Young’s modulus of diamond thin films
- Measuring the Young’s modulus of 3 nm thin amorphous carbon films used as top coatings in computer data disks
- Measuring the thickness of crystallographic damage layers in 12” wafers for semiconductor manufacturing
- Measuring the Young’s modulus of metal and ceramics coatings
- Detecting the native oxide layers on silicon wafers for semiconductor manufacturing
- Measuring the modulus of low-k dielectric materials and photoresist as a function of prior treatments
The laser surface acoustic wave tester can be applied to measure the mentioned material properties in the laboratory providing a wealth useful data for thin film materials as a function of the particular circumstance of their synthesis. But the machine also serves well as a quality control unit for in-line operation since the test is fast (seconds for a data point) and non-destructive. For more detailed information on this machine follow this link: http://www.ccl-lawave.com
