STS (now SPTS) 310PC PECVD system

Where the STS 310PC fits

The 310PC was built by Surface Technology Systems in the UK, a supplier whose plasma tools spread widely through university and MEMS cleanrooms. It is a single-chamber, parallel-plate PECVD reactor that deposits silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, oxynitride and amorphous silicon at temperatures far below a furnace. A used 310PC suits a lab that needs passivation, hard masks, sacrificial layers or optical films on pieces and wafers up to about 150 mm.

Its strength is the mixed-frequency RF arrangement: a 13.56 MHz supply combined with a low-frequency generator lets you set film stress, which matters for membranes, cantilevers and thick layers. Exact frequencies vary between systems, so we list them for each tool. See our deposition equipment page for alternative deposition routes.

PECVD or a furnace

PECVD nitride is hydrogen-rich and less dense than LPCVD nitride but grows at a fraction of the temperature and on substrates that already carry metal. Our post on PECVD vs LPCVD silicon nitride compares film properties and tool choice for typical research processes.

What we inspect

We pump the chamber down and log base pressure and leak rate, then check the heated electrode against its setpoint with an independent probe. Both RF generators are run into a dummy load and then on plasma, with reflected power and match tuning recorded. Every mass flow controller is checked for zero and flow, the gas pod is leak tested and the interlocks for toxic gas and exhaust are traced.

Common wear points on this platform are:

• showerhead and electrode surfaces with heavy deposit or arcing marks
• heater elements and thermocouples in the lower electrode
• RF match capacitors and relays
• mass flow controllers that have drifted after years of silane service
• the original control PC, its interface cards and storage

Refurbishment and upgrades

Refurbishment covers chamber and showerhead cleaning or replacement, new seals, heater and thermocouple checks, gas line leak testing and pump service. For Certified systems we deposit oxide and nitride test films and report thickness, refractive index and uniformity.

The most frequent upgrade is a control system retrofit: the original computer and software are replaced with current hardware and recipe control, while the process hardware stays the same. Other upgrades include new RF generators, new mass flow controllers and a dry pump conversion, which suits silane chemistry better than an oil-sealed pump.

Facilities you will need

• Single- or three-phase power, depending on pump and generator configuration
• Cooling water for the RF generators and pump, depending on configuration
• Clean dry air for valves
• Nitrogen for purge and venting
• Silane, ammonia, nitrous oxide and clean gases, with gas detection
• Exhaust to a scrubber or burn box suited to silane

Buying advice

Check which gases the tool has run and which lines are fitted before planning your recipes. Confirm the RF configuration if stress control matters to you. Budget for gas safety hook-up; on most sites it costs more time than moving and installing the tool.