Memorandum
To: Katalin
Voros, Operations Manager
From: Robert
Hamilton, Facilities Manager
Subject: 2008
Year-End Report
Date: 17
January 2009
This 2008
summary is based on engineering reports supplied by the Microlab’s equipment
engineering staff, records in the Microlab Equipment Comments/Problems logs and
various files. Equipment and Facilities Management 2008 activities are
encapsulated in the following sections:
I.
Maintenance Staff Supervision
II.
Laboratory Development: Facilities, Utilities, Equipment
III.
Other Laboratory Assistance
IV.
Safety – Chemical Hygiene Plan
I.
Maintenance
Staff Supervision
Effective January 2009 the Microlab’s equipment and
facilities support staff, including my position consists of nine FTE’s and one
temporary employee.
Staff Supervision is as follows:
Bob
Hamilton, Equipment and Facilities Manager:
Joseph Donnelly, Associate Development Engineer
Phillip Guillory, Supervisor:
Alan Briggs, Development Technician IV
James Batie (Temporary appointment)
Up to two student employees
Mike Linan, Supervisor:
Brian McNeil, Development Technician V
David Lo, Associate Development Engineer
Jay Morford, Assistant Development Engineer
Danny Pestal, Assistant Development Engineer
Staff Development & Milestones
In
addition to staff development, the equipment engineering staff played a more
active role in editing and contributing improvements to our online equipment
manuals.
2008 Lab Members Picnic:
The
annual picnic was held Saturday, June 28th at the
II.
Laboratory
Development - Facilities, Utilities, Equipment Facilities
Facilities
Given the mature nature of the Microlab and the imminent
move to a new facility, improvements to existing lab areas were minimized. Of
note:
Utilities
§
95awn: The acid waste neutralization system operated with 100%
reliability for CY 2008. It was inspected by EH&S and the City of
§
chillers: Three of the four stages of the
§
compressed air: Compressed air reliability was good in 2008. The
air dryer was out of service on several occasions requiring service. Response
to such failures by PPCS remains poor and repairs take weeks to complete.
§
icw: Several tools in the 432 area were effectively rerouted from
the process cooling water loop to industrial cold water because of a shortage
of process water cooling.
§
hoodfans: PPCS requires reminders for belt services on Microlab
hoodfan hf83 and hf84. These reminders are prompted via our maintenance calendar.
§
LN/N2: Vendor fills were considerably more reliable in 2008. A
backpressure regulator added to LN vessel #2 to provide constant tank pressure
regardless of LN use. LN Dewars for Cory Hall and
§
power: One scheduled power outage occurred for maintenance of
the Cory Hall transformers. This resulted in the failure of the turbo pump for
lam4, the loss of four control boards for the Tystar furnaces and the interface
board in the uvbake. Clearly, given the range of equipment affected, voltage
was not well regulated on startup.
§
rodi: A conductivity meter with high resolution was added to
the reverse osmosis system to monitor membrane performance. The existing meter
did not have sufficient resolution to identify issues membrane
Equipment
An issue
affecting both edwards and edwardseb3 is the reliability of the Penning vacuum
gauges. These gauges are adversely affected by the particles which are inherent
to evaporation and PVD. Given the controls for both tools there is little we
can do to remediate this problem.
·
Added position able, substrate confining gas nozzles.
·
The rotational misalignment issue has been fixed. The z
axis chuck post was not 100% plumb. It was likely bumped when the 6-inch chuck was
first installed awhile back. The chuck was also calibrated so that 50kg max
force now possible. This work performed by JBTS through SET in prep for
equipment demo for SET customer.
·
During an engineering calibration the stage crashed into
the SRA and substrate collet which resulted in multiple alignment issues and
necessitated JBTSS coming out to service/calibrate tool
·
Transfer collet found to be installed too low. Deburring
edge allowed insertion of collet into tooling for proper height level. This
corrected stage crash issue during engineering calibration. All x-y coordinates
zeroed and reset to proper values Bonding at 50kg verified - good post bond
alignment confirmed
·
New thermistor epoxied into UBA thermod
·
Vacuum fitting epoxied into SRA thermod
·
Power supply on PC died and was successfully replaced
·
I/O card in motor control box died, replaced with spare we
had on hand. + UBA exhibited enormous alignment issues that could not be
resolved, so tool was placed into SRA mode, and alignment could now be done
perfectly.
§
gases: New limitations on the quantity of dichlorosilane have
been imposed by the Department of Homeland Security. This will add to the cost
of dichlorosilane. In general, gases used for processing silicon have steeply
increased in price. Production limitations and demand by the solar industry is
sited as the cause. The need to purchase of an expensive premix of CF4/O2 clean
gas for oxford2 was obviated by modifying the oxford2. Cylinder changes
occurred without incidents. Gas cabinet safety was reviewed with EH&S. Of
note, helium gas was extended to the ion mill, xetch and ultek to meet the
request for helium ion beams on the ion mill. Helium may be implemented on the
xetch at a future date.
§
gcapg: Aperture rotation motor replaced. Stages were cleaned as
per the pm calendar.
§
gcaws2: Issues with the AWH were resolved.
§
gcaws6: Micro-DFAS computer replaced by RZ Associates.
§
heatpulse RTP’s: heatpulse2 was upgraded from a model 210 to a
model 610 w/extended range pyrometry. This required the purchase of a constant-temperature
bath for the extended range pyrometer. The “core” of heatpulse3 was replaced
with a new one. heatpulse4 was re-plumbed to remediate leaks. The ERP circuits
for heatpulse3 & 4 were routed back to a constant-temperature bath to
reduce operating pressure and prevent leaks. The ac power circuit for
heatpulse3/4 was modified to prevent tripping the circuit breaker. Heatpulse1, 2,
3, and 4 are now operating reliably. Heatpulse1 may be exchanged for an 8” RTP
in 2009.
§
iondep: Process development continues. The high voltage
feedthrough was reworked following failure. There were warranty issues with the
Veeco RF gun assembly and the rotary heated substrate holder. Ongoing
development includes the installation of a current sensing circuit to monitor
heater-lamp condition, Si target bonding issues and development of a better
substrate heater. The Cory Hall Machine Shop will assist designing and
fabricating the improved substrate holder.
§
ionmill: Use rate high – replacement of the ion mill should be ranked
high on the 6” tooled upgrade list. He gas was plumbed to the ion mill for a
user’s need but the project to install it is on hold.
§
jeol107: Replaced by the crestec. jeol107 was relocated to EE143
for integration into that course.
§
ksaligner: Video DVCU failed. A replacement module was purchased
from Suss. This took several weeks to procure. Replacement DVCU resulted in
oscillations in TCA focus motors which took additional time to remediate. The
ksaligner 24V supply failed. A remote power is in use to support the ksaligner
and a replacement will be ordered.
§
ksbonder: Replaced I/O board after pressure and motor control found
not working. This malfunction was caused by a binder clip falling into the
ksbonder card-cage. The clamp actuator pneumatic piston failed and was rebuilt
with a seal fabricated in-house. Precision needle valve added to control a
10%H2/N2 reduced atmosphere while reflowing eutectics. The PC’s power supply
failed and was successfully replaced.
§
lam1: Pump stack was upgraded to dry pumps. Issues with a
garbled display were corrected. The rf power supply was replaced. An issue with
the gas-box was corrected.
§
lam2: Pneumatic cylinders were rebuilt, load lock doors
repaired and realigned. lam2 receives heavy use which results in wear and tear,
particularly for wafer handling.
§
lam3: BCl3 and CHCl3 mfc’s replaced, rf match repaired, chamber
and showerhead cleaned. BCL3 and CHCl3 sources replaced. Wafer handling and
loadlock doors repaired.
§
lam4: Chiller replaced. Handling issues linked to low 24V
supply. Supply ordered and replaced (January 2009).
§
lam5: Cl2 mfc replaced, quad seals on upper electrode
showerhead replaced. The HBr circuit was modified to accommodate research by BMLA
member Pivotal Systems.
§
leo: Image quality not up to par because of the room 145
environment. A fatal problem occurred with the failure of the video matrix
board which required replacement. The software was corrupted by Zeiss Field
Service which put the system out of use for five weeks. After repair, the
scintillator screen was replaced, an annual preventative maintenance item. We
are investigating the cost of an electronic/PC upgrade which will modernize the
electronics, control computer and in-lens detector. The leo remains in high
demand. Zeiss/SMT field service support remains problematic. Major upgrades are
deferred until funding is identified. leo will be one of the first tools
re-sited to Marvell.
§
mbe2: Three ion gauges were rebuilt and replaced. A new rough
line was added for cryopump regenerations. The cryo vent valve modified for
safety. A new N2 regulator replaced an excess pressure valve to reduce N2 use.
§
nanoduv: Replaced the pm tube and the analog board.
§
novellus: Cryo for pm4 replaced with a rebuilt unit. This complex
process tool requires significant equipment engineering resources for both
processing wafers and for the maintenance of the tool.
§
oxford: Extensive cleaning of the pump manifold and
chamber were done to meet the needs of the COMPOUND lab members. This included
replacement of various seals, the ion and the Penning gauge. A new bellows
lift assembly was installed. The upper and lower electrodes were resurfaced.
The pressure switch that controls gate valve operation was replaced.
§
oxford2: Upper & lower electrode removed. Lower
electrode planarized. New standardized recipes were created and the online
manual updated. The premixed CH4/O2 clean gas was replaced with mass flow
control of CF4 to significantly reduce the cost of the clean gas. O2 is derived
from the house O2 supply. The addition of these mfc’s greatly increased
pressure control of the clean-gas. A clean-gas cycle timer was implemented
which prevents accidental run-on of the cleaning process.
§
p5000: System is out
of service pending replacement of an rf match unit. An estimate was procured
for refurbishment of the p5000 which would restore operations for all four
process chambers and add SACVD capability.
§
parylene: Replacement
PLC installed by Microlab staff.
§
picosun: New ALD system
sighted and operational. Test films have been run. picosun is pending a manual and
not yet released for general use.
§
plotter: Replacement
plotter installed ~Jan 2008.
§
primeoven: Temperature controller
replaced.
§
pumps: Pump support
costs for 2008 were significantly reduced. Several visits were made to pump
rebuilders to qualify their work. We are now working with a couple of vendors
whose rebuilds seem reliable. The pumps-database is populated, a preventative maintenance
calendar is about to be tested. In addition to aging mechanical pumps the
Microlab inventory of cryo and turbo pumps are aging. These pumps need periodic
service and many of ours are beyond their service life. We are working to
identify turbo rebuilders and toward constraining turbobrands and models to
those that can be serviced at reasonable cost.
§
rodi: Membranes
replaced. An additional RO product quality conductivity meter was added to more
closely monitor RO membrane performance.
§
randex: A load-lock
was fabricated and it available for testing. Randex use has greatly declined
with the implementation of edwards, a sputter system that allows lab members to
change their own targets.
§
rums: Monitoring of humidity
and temperature has been restored for GL4. An ancillary N2 flow rate monitor
was added. A sensor was added to monitor the Neslab System V. The flow calibrations
for totalizing GeH4 and disilane were checked and found to be accurate.
§
spinner1: Additional shields were added to enhance safety.
§
svgcoat1: Converted from 4” to 6”. Topside EBR added. A Becker
brand vacuum pump replaced a Gast pump for improved reliability and quieter
operation.
§
svgcoat3: Added a 3rd resist pump and EBR
§
svgdev6: Major upgrade of the developer module which was replaced
with a moving-dispense arm. This upgrade solves the problem of developer
dripping onto wafer or the chuck after dispense. In addition to the
moving-dispense module a new CPU was installed with increased recipe capacity.
§
tystar2: Random shutoff of the firing package remains an issue. This
failure mode does not affect runs-in-progress. We are trying to locate the
source of this problem.
§
tylan8: Reconfigured for wetox and tested for the oxidation of
compound semiconductors. By providing an alternative wetox system for the
COMPOUND group Tylan8 removes bottlenecks at nanox.
§
tystar10: Replaced boat loader assembly and one change of
quartzaware.
§
tystar15: New SiC precursor (methylsilane, CH6Si) added. This
required the implementation of a gas ratio controller and modification of the
gas manifold. The pumping system was modified for pressure control to 1.7 Torr.
Experiments beyond 1.7 Torr have been discussed. This will require an EPROM
change in the model 460 gas controller to higher pressure alarm set points. A
set of water cooled front flanges were fabricated for operations above 850 C;
however, the research group has not asked to have these installed.
§
tystar16: The failure of a seal in the roots blower lead to a
silane reaction in the mechanical pump that damaged a bellows assembly and
“dusted” the process tube. The system required cleaning of the gas manifold, new
quartzware, cleaning of the manifold and rebuilding of the pumps. This is the
most complete system rebuild we’ve been required to do for an lpcvd furnace.
tystar16 required two quartzware changes in 2008.
§
tystar17: Particle issues remedied by a rebuild of the
shunt/gatevalve assembly and replacement of the QDP500 blower pump. The exhaust
transition was modified to accommodate research by BMLA member Pivotal Systems.
Upon completion of the Pivotal work the rear manifold was reassembled and simplified.
§
tystar19: Replaced the FCS10 tube computer/display/keypad with a
new Tystar model.
§
tystarlpcvd: Purge gas panel upgraded and new regulator installed.
tystarbank3 oil filtration system flushed. Tystar quartzware redesigned and new
CAD drawing created. Boat fabrication was moved to LP Glassblowing resulting in
a substantial cost savings. SKU’s were added for the boat inventory for
inventory control. New B+ source boat designed to accommodate 4” and 6” wafers
in one boat style.
§
ultek: Substrate cooling added.
§
uvbake: Interface board failed and replaced after a Cory Hall
Power outage.
Equipment Donations
III.
Other Laboratory Assistance
Microlab equipment support staff intensified their
contributions to the fit-up details of the Marvell Laboratory.
Cory
Other Campus &
IV.
Safety
No injuries were reported by Microlab members in CY 2008.
This is our second consecutive year accident and injury-free.
A comprehensive review and update was completed of the
Microlab Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). Following this update, the PowerPoint
presentation used at the orientation seminar was updated and a new version of
the Safety Test was written. The new test simplifies language accommodating
non-native English speakers. The results of these changes are fewer missed answers
and correcting the new test is much faster and easier. The annual Safety Quiz, required
for all staff and lab members was presented in February, 2007.
Four safety meetings were for held between Microlab principals.
Microlab safety as well as the HAZMAT safety system were reviewed. The HAZMAT
binder was updated and enhanced. This review prompted the installation of an
additional sensor which notifies Microlab safety contacts of a power outage,
any time of the day or night. The HAZMAT/Safety Binder is kept up to date and
in a public area for review.
The chemical vapor safety sensors were calibrated in the
month of January 2008 using an approved surrogate gases. Each sensor was tested
in situ. The RKI portable gas sensor used for hazardous cylinder changes was
returned to RKI for calibration.
The EH&S 2007 laboratory safety audit was completed.
Items found out of compliance were corrected. Chemical inventories and chemical
summary door signs are up to date. Job Safety Audits and Radioactive Source
Change standard operating procedures were written, submitted and approved by
EH&S. The Microlab is in compliance for the use of radiation producing
machines and sealed-sources.
Routine
safety maintenance was performed as per calendar e-mail reminders:
V.
Summary
Preparations
are underway to move the Microlab to the new Marvell Nanofabrication
Laboratory. We are planning this move as seamless, minimizing impact on lab
member research as well as Microlab recharge income. Many decisions will need
to be made at the time of a move as the equipment need by lab members is
dynamic and hard to plan around. I am confident the equipment engineering staff
has the skill to asses need and consequences. We have years of training minimizing
costs while maximize effect. We know our toolsets and are enthusiastic and
prepared for the work ahead. I am confident we’ll measure up to the task.