[labnetwork] Indium Ebeam Evaporation

[Grant Shao]

Hi labnetwork,

We currently have indium as an available source in our ebeam evaporator but unfortunately found out it's contaminating, at the very least, the pockets next to it (particularly gold), if not all films from the higher vapor pressure, fairly conclusively. We are running it at fast rates (10-20 A/s) for some thicker films in the microns range.

Before we entirely disallow indium in the tool and go about cleaning shields, hearth, etc., does anyone have an inkling if slower deposition rates (somewhere from 1 to 5 A/s) might avoid the cross contamination at least from pocket to pocket? I've been told somewhere that at faster rates, indium forms a cloud right above the actual melt from which it's actually evaporating, and that is more likely to be getting through the small gap between the hearth and the hearth cover to the pockets next to it. Wondering if it might be worth a try.

Any other ideas are also welcome.

Thanks,
Grant

--
Grant Shao
Lab Operations Engineer
Nanopatterning Cleanroom<https://snsf.stanford.edu/facilities/fab/npc>, Stanford Nano Shared Facilities<http://snsf.stanford.edu/>

shaog at stanford.edu<mailto:shaog at stanford.edu> | 650.441.9042
Spilker Building, Room 004
348 Via Pueblo
Stanford, CA 94305-4088
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