Temescal FC-2000 electron-beam evaporator

Where the FC-2000 fits

Temescal's FC-2000 is a high-vacuum electron-beam evaporator with a cryopumped chamber and dome or planetary fixturing. It is a common lift-off metallisation tool in university cleanrooms and compound semiconductor pilot lines: Ti/Au contacts, Ni/Au, Cr/Au and Pt stacks on III-V wafers or silicon. A used FC-2000 suits a lab that runs several metals per day on pieces and wafers up to about 100 mm.

The long source-to-substrate distance gives directional deposition and low heat load on resist, which is what makes clean lift-off possible. It also means the chamber is tall and the pumpdown matters: a healthy cryopump is central to cycle time. For other film options see our deposition equipment overview.

How used FC-2000 systems differ

Systems were configured for their first owner, so the following vary and set the value of a used tool:

• e-beam gun type, pocket count and crucible size
• power supply generation and sweep controller
• fixture: lift-off dome, planetary or flat plate, and how many wafers of which size
• thermal evaporation source, ion source or heater, if fitted
• manual, semi-automatic or automated control

Our post on e-beam evaporation vs sputtering for lift-off explains when the extra directionality of evaporation is worth having.

What we inspect

We regenerate the cryopump, pump the chamber down and record base pressure and the time to reach process pressure. The gun is run on each pocket with a known material, and we check emission stability, sweep pattern and arcing at full voltage. The crystal monitor, shutters, fixture rotation and venting are checked, along with interlocks on the door and high voltage.

Typical wear points are e-beam filaments and insulators, crucible indexer mechanics, worn rotation drives on planetary fixtures, crystal head connectors and tired cryopump displacers. Flaking on shields and the chamber walls is expected and handled in cleaning.

Refurbishment and upgrades

Refurbishment strips and cleans the chamber and fixtures, replaces seals and gun consumables, overhauls the cryopump and compressor and recalibrates gauges and the thickness controller. Certified tools are run on a test deposition with thickness uniformity in the report. Our vacuum system refurbishment service covers the pumping side in detail.

On older systems, the most useful upgrade is often new sequencing control: a control system retrofit replaces failing relay logic or obsolete computers and adds recipe and logging. A newer gun supply is the other frequent request.

Facilities you will need

• Three-phase power for the e-beam supply and cryo compressor, depending on configuration
• Cooling water for the gun hearth, power supply and compressor
• Clean dry air for valves and shutters
• Nitrogen for venting
• Exhaust for the rough pump
• Space for service access to the chamber door and the power supply rack

Buying advice

Count the metals in your stacks and compare that with the pockets and liners available. Check that the fixture fits your wafer size, or budget for a new one. Ask whether the cryopump has a service record, as it is the most expensive single item to replace after the gun supply.