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Thin Film
Deposition
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Q: Why use a crucible liner?
A: Crucible liners provide thermal isolation between a target material and a source's watercooled crucible. These liners offer improved thermal stability while reducing the transfer of heat to the crucible. In addition, liners provide the ability to easily and quickly switch evaporant materials without removing the source for cleaning.
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Q: What is the difference between direct and indirect
watercooling?
A: Direct cooling provides water circulation through a crucible's elaborate hollow core, thus directly cooling the copper crucible. Indirect water cooling employs a solid copper crucible in intimate contact with the source's watercooled copper base. Indirectly cooled sources allow crucible replacement without having to disconnect water lines, but must be operated at lower power levels.
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Q: What does "CE compliant" mean?
A: CE is a European safety standard, ensuring safe voltages, protection from exposure to lethal currents and other specifications.
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Q: How many sources can a single programmable sweeper control?
A: One. The most critical element here is safety. It is inadvisable to operate an electron beam source without having continuous access to the source's operation parameters. To allow a beam to sweep unmonitored could introduce a hazardous situation. For more information, see XYS Programmable Sweep Controller in the Technical Library.
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Q: How many sources can a single power supply operate?
A: Up to three, either sequentially or simultaneously. The power supplies are current (amp) limited, and the total current output cannot exceed the maximum current output rating for the unit.
Example: A CVS-10 can be configured to power three sources, with two sources receiving 300mA each and the third source receiving 400mA.
| Unit Reference |
Maximum current output rating |
| CVS-6 |
600mA |
| CVS-10 |
1000mA |
| CVS-15 |
1500mA |
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Q: How many sources can a single source controller operate?
A: One only. Each electron beam source must have its own source controller.
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Q: What components make up a typical evaporation system?
A: Basic components:
* Electron beam source
* Power supply
* Source controller
* Sweep controller
* Feedthroughs, including high voltage, water cooling, sweep coil and crucible rotation
Optional components:
* Deposition controller
* Crucible indexer for crucible selection
* Water flow switch
* Watercooled roof
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Q: What questions will MDC ask me if I call to discuss an e-beam source purchase?
A:
We would discuss your overall requirements and in the course of that discussion we would like answers to:
* What materials will be evaporated?
* How many layers of different materials will be deposited?
* What are the thickness for each layer?
* What coating uniformity is required?
* What deposition rates are required?
* Will the process be performed at high vacuum or ultrahigh vacuum levels?
* Will the e-beam source be used in conjunction with other equipment such as an ion source?
* Is the e-beam source to replace an existing source?
* Is your facility equipped or can it be equipped with a short-path ground with a solid copper rod driven into an earth ground?
* What installation requirements are there: Does a chamber already exist for the source?
* Is the source to be flange mounted?
* Are feedthroughs to be 1-inch bolt hole style or metal seal style?
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Q: What is the difference between e-Vap® and Re-Vap™?
A: e-Vap® refers to electron beam evaporation and Re-Vap™ refers to resistive heating evaporation. While both operations result in the evaporation of materials, they are two separate technologies.
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Q: What is the minimum vacuum operating pressure?
A: Standard operating pressures are a maximum of 5 x 10-4 Torr or less. For operating pressures above 5 x 10-4 Torr, contact the factory.
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Q: What are the consumable components of an electron beam system?
A: The most frequently replaced consumables are filaments and insulators. Other consumables are the anode, beam deflector shield, and cathode blocks. While not occurring as frequently, entire crucibles and emitter assemblies can be replaced periodically.
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Q: Can the e-Vap® 100 be used for multilayer or thick layer deposition?
A: No. The e-Vap® 100 is a precision monolayer deposition source and not intended for thick coatings.
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Q: Is the e-Vap® 3000 available with more than one pocket?
A: The development of a multipocket miniature evaporation system is progressing even as you read these words. MDC anticipates unveiling a multipocket miniature evaporation system in the near future.
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Q: Are the MDC e-Vap® crucible sizes the same as other e-beam source crucible sizes?
A: Yes. Crucible sizes 7, 15, 25 and 40 are standard industry wide. MDC also offers larger capacity sources which go beyond the standard sizes.
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Q: Is on-site installation assistance available?
A: Yes. Please contact the e-Vap® department at MDC Vacuum Products,
LLC for details.
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Back to Product FAQ Summary
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