3 cm Ion Source

Short Web-Manual (for detailed instructions, see the manufacturer’s manual)

Front panel of the power-supply for the ion-source

 

Front panel of the power-supply for the flow-controller

Load the sample and rotate the transfer rod to 270° so that the sample will face away from the ion-source. Switch on the power-supply for the flow-controller. It now takes approx. 2 minutes for the flow-controller to warm up. Use the up and down arrows to select the display showing FLOW and SETP as indicated in the figure Press ENTER and use the arrow-buttons to adjust the setpoint for the flow of argon gas through the ion source. A gas-flow between 1 sccm and 2 sccm is recommended. Press ENTER to exit the editing modus When the Power has been switched on for at least 2 minutes (see step 2), press ON to activate the flow-controller. The red SETPOINT LED will light up. Open the valve between the flow-controller and the ion-source slowly. When the valve is fully opened, the pressure inside the vacuum chamber will be about 10-5 mBar. On the front panel of the power-supply for the ion-source, turn the POWER switch to the on position. An audio alarm will sound and the unit will perform a self-test. Set the MODE switch to LOCAL Adjust the Beam Current by selecting BEAM with the MODULE switch and CURRENT with the FUNCTION switch. Enter the value by turning the ADJUST knob. Adjust the Beam Voltage by selecting BEAM with the MODULE switch and VOLTAGE with the FUNCTION switch. Enter the value by turning the ADJUST knob. Adjust the Accelerator Voltage by selecting ACCELERATOR with the MODULE switch and VOLTAGE with the FUNCTION switch. Enter the value by turning the ADJUST knob. Press the SOURCE switch to start the gas-discharge inside the ion-source. Wait until the discharge voltage is stable on 38 V and a stable discharge current is indicated. A plasma is generated inside the ion-source and the source is ready for extracting an ion beam now. Press the BEAM switch to apply a voltage to the beam extraction grids. This will switch on the ion-beam. By rotating the transfer rod to 90°, the sample faces the ion source and the etching-process will start. To switch off the ion-beam, press the SOURCE button. This will stop the ion-beam and the discharge. Close the valve between the ion-source and the flow-controller. Press OFF on the front panel of the power-supply for the flow-controller to switch off the setpoint. The SETPOINT LED will stop to light. The power-supply for the flow-controller should be left on, for optimal performance.

Additional remarks:

If the cathode filament current and neutralizer filament current need to be adjusted, go to MANUAL mode, adjust the filament currents and go back to LOCAL mode before starting the discharge.

The energy of the ions in the ion-beam is dependent only on the beam voltage.

The accelerator voltage should be adjusted to give a minimal accelerator current. A high accelerator current results in a faster wear of the accelerator grid.

When the ratio of the accelerator current and the beam current (A/B ratio) exceeds the programmed limit (20%), an audio alarm will sound and an E25 error message will appear on the Accelerator Current display. The current and voltage settings or the gas flow have to be adjusted to decrease the A/B ratio.

The Cathode filament current and the Neutralizer filament current should not be increased above 3 A. The discharge voltage should always be 38 V.

Typical settings:

Measured etch-rates:

Change in settings, 2009-09-16: