FT7690 Film Thickness Monitor and Controller
FT7690 Film Thickness Monitor module
Key features
- Accurate monitoring and control
- Option for Polaron SC7640 Sputter Coater
- Retro-fittable to most vacuum systems
- Digital display
- Resolution of 0.1 nm
- Simple to set up and operate
| Accuracy and convenience..... A variety of techniques are available for depositing thin films on substrates; in EM these typically include sputter coating and evaporation of metals from a filament source. Accurate measurement and control of the thickness of such films is often critical in achieving the desired results. The Polaron FT7690 Film Thickness Monitor is an easy to use module that not only allows measurement of films, but is also able to terminate the deposition process at a predetermined thickness. |
FT7690 as an option with the Polaron SC7640
Sputter Coater
A good example of the value to this technique is the sputtering of
fine grain coatings, typically gold / palladium or platinum required
for high resolution SEM. Here accuracy is essential due to the relationship
between coating thickness and grain size - the thicker the film the larger
the individual metal grains within that film. For this reason the Polaron
FT7690 Monitor and FT7607 are recommended for use with the Polaron SC7640 High Resolution Automatic
/ Manual Sputter Coater.
FTM as an option with Polaron bench top evaporators
The Polaron FT7690 FTM module can be fitted to the E6700 evaporator to monitor the
metal evaporation or sputtering process and terminate it when the required
thickness is reached. A quartz crystal holder (E5511) is mounted on the work
chamber jigging near the substrate holder and a connection made to the
free-standing monitor.
FTM and the measurement of carbon films
The FT7690 can be used to measure the thickness of carbon films.
However, carbon is a light element and due to the sensitivity of the
quartz crystal, it is not easily possible to terminate the deposition
of evaporated carbon.
Another useful feature of the FT7690 is its ability to display the rate at which a film is being deposited.
How the Polaron FT7690 works...
An oscillating 5 MHz quartz crystal is mounted in the vacuum chamber,
ideally as close to the sample / substrate as possible, so that it receives
the sputtered or evaporated film on its upper surface. The change in
frequency of the quartz crystal is measured and correlated to frequency.
The FT 7690 uses a simple digital four digit "auto zero" display
that makes it easy to set up and operate. For example when used with the Polaron
SC7640 sputter coater, the density of the target material is selected and the
required film thickness programmed in.
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