M-TI VBF-1200X-H8 User manual

VBF-1200X-H8
1 MTI Corporation | www.mtixtl.com
VBF-1200X-H8
1100°C COMPACT VACUUM CHAMBER FURNACE
With UL Recognized Electric Components & Eurotherm 3504 Temperature Controller
OPERATION MANUAL
860 South 19th Street, Richmond, CA 94804, USA
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone]
Website: www.mtixtl.com Email: [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
IMPORTANT NOTES ...........................................................................................................................................................3
GENERAL WARNINGS .......................................................................................................................................................3
WARRANTY .........................................................................................................................................................................3
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION: 4
FURNACE STRUCTURE: 4
SPECIFICATIONS: 5
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS .............................................................................................................................................6
EQUIPMENT INSPECTION: 6
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT: 6
POWER CONNECTION: 6
AC POWER: 6-8
GENERAL OPERATION: 8 - 11
VACUUM AND GAS FLOW SYSTEMS: 12
TEMPERATURE CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS ...............................................................................................................12
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER: 12 - 13
SETTING THE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER: 13 - 14
HEATING PROFILE SETTING EXAMPLE: 14 - 15
ILLUSTRATION OF HEATING PROFILE SETTING: 15 - 16
RUNNING THE PROGRAM: 16 –17
HOLDING THE PROGRAM: 17
STOPPING THE PROGRAM / FURNACE SHUTDOWN: 17
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER PARAMETERS: 17 - 18
FUNCTIONS OF MAIN PARAMETERS: 18 - 19
PARAMETER SETTING: 20
AUTO-TUNE: 20
MANUAL-TUNE: 20
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE & TROUBLESHOOTING ............................................................................................21
MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT CARE: 21
TROUBLESHOOTING FOR TYPICAL PROBLEMS: 22
TROUBLESHOOTING RESOURCES: 22

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IMPORTANT NOTES
Thank you for purchasing from Materials Technology International Corporation. This manual contains important operation and safety
information prepared for those intending on using the equipment. The prospective user is responsible for carefully reading and
understanding the contents of this manual prior to operating the equipment.
MTI reserves the right to update or upgrade the product without informing customers of the data change(s) in this manual. Please visit
www.mtixtl.com frequently for the latest information and manual.
GENERAL WARNINGS
MTI will not be responsible for equipment damage, accidents leading to minor or fatal injuries, and etc. caused by the user’s
negligence or lack of knowledge. Always read the manual fully beforehand and exercise the best judgment when handling the
equipment.
To avoid electrical shock:
Use a properly grounded electrical outlet of correct voltage and current handling capacity.
Disconnect equipment from the power supply before servicing.
Always double check the wiring and consult a licensed electrician for installation.
To avoid burns:
Do not touch the exterior or interior surface of the furnace during operation or after use (cooling time depends on temperature
set by the user).
Tube Replacement or Installation:
Use extreme cautions and be aware of the surroundings when replacing or installing a tube.
Read the installation instructions listed in the dedicated section prior to installing.
To avoid Physical Injuries:
Do not put this equipment near flammable or explosive environments and substances.
Do not leave the internal circuit exposed after disassembly.
Power should be cut off when performing external maintenance like cleaning.
WARRANTY
MTI Corporation provides one year limited warranty from date the product is shipped out. Any defective part(s) will be
replaced free of charge during warranty period. However, the warranty does NOT cover any equipment damage caused by
misuse or negligence. After the expiration of warranty, MTI will continue to provide technical support and spare parts at a
reasonable cost.

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EQUIPMENT INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
VBF-1200X-H8 is a CE certified vacuum furnace with a 7.5" ID x 13.4"L quartz tube chamber placed horizontally. Water-cooled
stainless steel vacuum flanges with valves are installed to achieve a vacuum of 10-2 to10-5 torr through the use of a mechanical or
molecular vacuum pump. It is designed for calcining or annealing semiconductor wafers (up to 6") under vacuum or various other gas
atmospheres with a temperature up to 1100°C. It also can also be used as vacuum brazing furnace for fusing small parts.
FURNACE STRUCTURE

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SPECIFICATIONS
Working
Temperature
1000oC , continuous
Max. 1100oC, < 30 minutes
Heating Elements
High quality Ni-Cr-Al resistance wires
Heating Chamber
Size
7.5" ID x 8.5" Depth (7.6Liter)
Liner
High purity quartz liner: 8" O.D. x 7.5" I.D x 13.4" L.
Temperature
Controller
Programmable digital temperature controller provides precise control of heating, cooling and
dwelling with up to 50 segments per program.
Uniformity
+/- 2oC
Vacuum Flange
Stainless steel vacuum flange with dual high temperature silicone O-rings.
One ¼” hose barb fitting with needle valve built into the flange for gas inlet.
KF-25D port on furnace left can be used for vacuum pump connection.
A water cooling jacket has been installed in the flange to protect the vacuum sealing
assembly from melting at over 300°C.

One bored Al2O3 foam refractory block is included to prevent heat radiation and
dissipation.
Vacuum Pressure
Vacuum
Level
is
dependent
on the
vacuum
pump used,
connected
pipe,
interior refractory
block's materials etc. By using KF-25D port, vacuum bellows, MTI two stage mechanical
pump and
KF25
Ball
valve,
the
furnace
can
achieve
vacuum
levels below:
10
m-
torr 10-2 torr via
two
stages mechanical
pump
within
30
minutes without
refractory
block.
60
m-
torr 6x10-2 torr via
two
stages
Mechanical
pump
within
60
minutes
with
fibrous alumina
refractory
block
at
900 °C.
Gas Flow and
Pressure
Inert
gas and
oxygen
gas
flow
can
be
achieved
via
two
valves.
(Attention:
MTI
does
not
recommend
using
our
products under
hazardous conditions. We are not liable for
any
damage
incurred
under
hazardous conditions. For using hydrogen gas, it is
prudent
to
place
the
furnace
under
fume
hood.)

Max.
gas pressure
shall
be
less than
1.2
atm.
A flow meter may be used to monitor the flow rate of gases.
PC Control
PC control
software
and
interface
are
available
upon
request
at
extra
cost
Power Supply
Single
phase
208
-
240
VAC / 50/60Hz, 3000 W max. (20 A breaker required)
Overall
Dimensions
700
L x 440 W x 435mm H
Net
Weight
80
kg
Warranty
One year limited warranty with lifetime support

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ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
EQUIPMENT INSPECTION
Once receiving the furnace, please inspect the equipment and all accessories for damage incurred from shipping and check the
packing list for missing items. If anything is damaged or missing, please inform us at [e-mail].
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
The operating environment information listed below may be helpful for safely operating the instrument:
The furnace should be placed on a dry, hard and flat surface that is free of vibration
Use should be limited to indoor only with adequate ventilation and away from direct sunlight
Environment should be dust-free and without explosive and corrosive gases
Relative humidity (non-condensing): 10%～85%
Circumstance temperature: -10~75 oC
WARNING:
To reduce the possibility of heat-related injuries or of overheating the instrument, do not place the instrument too close to the side wall or
obstruct the air vents. Keep the instrument at least 1 meter in distance from the side wall.
POWER CONNECTION
Please make sure that the power source in your lab is sufficient to meet the power requirement listed for the equipment.
The following picture shows the three wires of the power cable: Ground, Live 1, and Live 2. We strongly suggest consulting a
professional or licensed electrician to perform the power connections. For more information, please refer to the “AC Power”
section below.
AC POWER
For power connection, a licensed electrician should be consulted to meet and comply with the local electrical codes and requirements.
Proper electrical power handling and knowledge are crucial for both safety and thorough application of the equipment.

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Attention:
For countries that use 220V, the furnace’s power supply is already configured to work with this input voltage. However, in countries that
use 110V, a 208~240V single phase AC power line needs to be setup.
The following knowledge may be useful for configuring a single phase 208~240V power line from various electrical panels. A three
phase 240V AC electrical panel generally found in most laboratories can be configured to output a single phase 208~240V power line.
To do this, two of the three live wires from the panel need to be configured with the neutral wire. Please refer to the illustrations below
to get an idea of the connections for the three phase and as well as the single phase 208~240V AC.
Attention:
MTI Corporation will not be responsible for any equipment or property damage that results from improper or incorrect power connections.

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Typical Single Phase AC Power In US
GENERAL OPERATION
If the furnace is being used for the first time (or use again after a long period of inactivity), please pre-heat the furnace to 300for
at least 2 hours for removing moisture inside the chamber to prevent cracking of the furnace refractory ceramics.
Properly setting up the tube and vacuum flanges prior to heating will ensure the furnace to work under the most ideal conditions. This
will insulate the heat from the flanges while simultaneously preventing the dissipation of heat from the furnace chamber. The
insulation of heat stabilizes the heating zone which in turn expends less energy and places less wear on the heating elements.
Unscrew the 6 tighten screws on the flange and then open the flange.
Use the clamp to insert the refractory block.

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Place the test sample inside the tube chamber (crucibles or boats may be used as material containers, please visit:
http://www.mtixtl.com/ceramiccrucibles.aspx) to order.
Insert the O-Ring into the slot between the quartz tube and the flange.
Seal the chamber by tightening the 6 fixing screws on the flange.

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Attention:
A optional Quartz Thermal Block (Alumina fiber filled) with carrying handle can be purchased at extra cost for easy handling and
better vacuum efficiency. Please always wear gloves when handling this block and do not touch it when hot!
Attention:
In order to achieve the best vacuum level, please follow the following instructions.
1. Clean high temperature silicone O-ring before installing the flange and then apply vacuum grease on the O-ring. Please order
it at:
http://www.mtixtl.com/highvacuumsiliconegreaseforsealinggloveboxeq-gb-vg.aspx
2. Tighten the six fixing screws evenly and gradually.
3. Place the refractory block inside the chamber and preheat the furnace at 1000 C for least an hour since the refractory block will
be a major factor influencing the vacuum level.
4. You may order a quartz heat block at extra cost from MTI Corp when a replacement is needed for the refractory block.

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5. Please be advised that you must implement cooling water during operation, please visit:
http://www.mtixtl.com/recirculatingwaterchiller.aspx for more information about the Compact Recirculation
Water Chiller (4 Liter Tank, 4L/min Flow).
Compact Recirculation Water Chiller
Limit the pressure regulator attached to the gas tank to below 1.2 atm before filling the tube with gas. Keep the
vacuum valve(s) open during gas filling to avoid high pressure from building up inside tube.
When the installation is finished, please do a test for gas leaks to check if the sealing parts were assembled well.
You may locate the leaking part(s) by using soap suds and apply vacuum grease on the part(s).
WARNING:
Tube furnaces are designed to be used under vacuum with low pressure gases. NEVER inject gas into the tube with pressure
higher than 1.2 atm. Pressure build up inside the tube may cause the flange(s) to be catapulted which may cause injury or death.
Also, do not pour any liquid or molten substances into the tube to keep its interiors clean.
After an inspection has been performed to make sure there are no gas leaks, power on the instrument by turning
the “Power Lock” to the right and the temperature control LCD will start to blink.
Press the “Turn On”button and a “clunk” sound should be heard. This switch activates the relay switch inside the
furnace to establish power connection to the heating elements. If the sound is not heard, please do not proceed
with operating the furnace. The furnace must be powered down and get inspected.
Please refer to the “TEMPERATURE CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS”sections to learn how to setup and run the
heating profile.
Attention:
A small to medium heating rate with a small temperature difference between the adjacent segments should be set when the furnace is
being heated up from room temperature. Please take the characteristics of the material bein g sintered into consideration when setting
the heating rate.
Also, please avoid using rapid heating and cooling rates as doing so will render shock and damage to the heating elements. Using the
heating or cooling rates listed in the specifications is recommended.

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VACUUM AND GAS FLOW SYSTEMS
When used in conjunction with vacuum pumps, vacuum furnaces can heat samples with a cleaner environment that greatly reduces
oxidation and contamination of materials or samples.
The flanges on MTI furnaces can be readily configured to accept various fittings for vacuum pump connections. Typically, connection
to the pump is made by securing stainless steel bellows to either side of the flange by quick locking clamps. For medium vacuum
(25~10-3 Torr), the EQ-YTP550 vacuum pump is an ideal option. Turbo-molecular pumps such as the EQ-PV-HVS or EQ-MT-
HVS are ideal for achieving high vacuum levels (10-3~10-5 Torr).
Gas mixing/ delivery systems allow for mixing of various reactive gases for inducing chemical reactions as well delivering inert gases
into the chamber for sample treatment. For making the connections to these systems, the flanges regularly come standard with barbed
hose fittings to accept gas tubes bridging the gas source and furnace. Moreover, this fitting can easily be removed and re-configured to
more secured gas connections or for adding gas flow meters to monitor gas flow rates.
All of the components mentioned above can be found at the Furnace Accessories section below:
http://mtixtl.com/furnaceaccessories.aspx
WARNING:
For safety concerns, never charge any noxious, explosive or flammable gas into ceramic tubes. Please remember that pressures
> 0.12 Mpa (absolute pressure value) inside the tube chamber are strictly forbidden at high temperatures when using quartz or
corundum tubes.
Please choose from MTI’s various types of vacuum pumps in the link below basedonthe experiment needs:
http://www.mtixtl.com/vacuumpumpandhighvacuumstation.aspx
TEMPERATURE CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS
TEMPERATURECONTROLLER
1. Specifications
a. Compatible Thermocouple: K、S、R、E、J、T、N;
b. Measurement Accuracy: 0.3;
c. Power Input: Single phase 220V AC (±10%) / 50~60Hz;
d. Power: ≤5W;
e. 30 Programmable Segments.
f. MET Certified
2. Structure
Below are the three variants of controllers commonly found on the furnaces. Though with different looks, they all share
similar features and functions.

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3.Functions and Indicators
SETTINGTHETEMPERATURECONTROLLER
Start Up State
When starting the device, the meter type and program version will display for a few seconds, and then enter the normal state. Blinking
“stop” indicates the program is in “normal state”.

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Displaying Switch
a. In the “normal state” or “program running state”, press “SET” key (Button 2) for 1 second to switch to
“executing program segment”(to set executing segments or display the ongoing temperature segment).
b. Press “SET” key (Button 2) again for 1 second to switch to “running time state”(to display the total running time PV
xxxx min. and the elapsed time SV xxxx min.)
c. Press “SET” key again (Button 2) for 1 second to go back to “normal state”.
HEATINGPROFILESETTINGEXAMPLE
Programmable smart instrumentation auto-controller allows you to set the temperature profile up to 30 segments. To process this
function, follow these steps:
Power on the furnace, blinking “STOP” on the SV window indicates the Normal State;
Press “←” once to display “C01” on PV window;
Set initial temperature to 0 oC by using Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “t01” on PV window;

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Set heat-up time (Usually beyond 30 minutes for this segment in case of temperature overshooting) from initial temperature to
target temperature by using Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “C02” on PV window; Set the actual working temperature for the second segment by using Keystrokes
:“←”, “↑” or “↓” ;
Press “Set” to display “t02” on PV window; Set heat-up time from initial temperature to target temperature by using
Keystrokes :“←”, “↑” or “↓”;
By pressing “Set” , you can get into the remaining segments (C03&t03;C04&t04;C05&t05…) and set their target temperature
and duration time values;
Press “Set” to display “Cxx” on PV window (xx could be any values among 01~30);
Press“←”, “↑” or “↓” to set “-121” in the last segment in order to shut down the furnace;
Attention:
The heating profile will stop at the first segment that contains “-121” regardless of whether or not the latter segments have values set in
them.
ILLUSTRATIONOF HEATINGPROFILESETTING
Setting Example: Temperature Control Program with 6-segments

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According to figure I above, all segments were recorded in the following:
Prompt
Input Data
Description
C01
0
Initial Temperature
T01
40
Heat-up time 40 minutes from 0-300 oC in the first segment
C02
300
Target temperature of the first heat-up stage
T02
20
Keep 20 minutes at 300 oC in the second segment
C03
300
Target temperature of the third stage
T03
50
Heat-up time 50 minutes from 300-800oC in the third segment
C04
800
Target temperature of the fourth stage
T04
25
Keep 25 minutes at 800oC in the fourth segment
C05
800
Target temperature of the fifth cooling stage
T05
20
Cooling time 20 minutes from 800-500oC
C06
500
Beginning temperature of the sixth stage
T06
-121
Program end, Out-put power off. Furnace cooling down naturally.(t06 = -121 is
an order to stop running)
RUNNING THE PROGRAM
When all the data is input into the temperature program, press both “Set” and “←” together, and “STOP” will show on SV
window again as an indication of the controller returning to the “Normal State”. Then press “↓” and hold for two seconds to
display “Run” on SV window;

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Furnace will run segment by segment automatically according to the program setting;
PV window then displays the present temperature inside the chamber;
HOLDING THEPROGRAM
If you need to hold the furnace at certain temperature when the program is running, press “↓” for 2 sec to hold the program
and press it again to continue.
You can stop the program either from the running or holding states by pressing “↑” for 2 seconds.
Attention:
It is not suggested to modify any parameters during the execution if the operator is not familiar with the furnace operations. If it is
absolutely necessary, please first stop the program first and then do the modification.
STOPPING THE PROGRAM/ FURNACE SHUTDOWN
Press the “↑”key to make sure the controller is at its “STOP “ state
Push the red “ Turn-Off” button to deactivate the furnace relay
Turn the lock switch in counter clockwise direction to cut off power from the control panel
If possible, shut off the power switch from the power cable
TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER PARAMETERS
Introductionof Main Parameters
Parameter Name
Parameter Function
Setting Range
Unit
M5
Maintain parameter
1－9999
° C or definable unit
P
Speed
1－9999
t
Delay time
1－2000
second
CtrL
Control type
2，3
LOC
Parameter lock
0 or 808
Attention:

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Whenever you want to change the parameters referred below, please change the value of parameter “Loc” to “808” first in order to unlock
the parameter settings.
FUNCTIONSOF MAIN PARAMETERS
Maintain parameter M5:
Like integral time of PID calibration, this parameter is mainly in charge of the integral work during the adjustment process. For
instance, the smaller the M5 is set, the stronger the system integral effect is, vice versa. When M5=0, the system will cancel integral
and intelligent adjustment, leave only proportion and differential (PD) function.
Speed parameter P:
Parameter P has nothing to do with integral function. The bigger the P value is, the stronger the proportion and differential function
are, vice versa.

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Delay time t:
It is defined as the time spent when the heating rate reaches to 63.5% of the maximum value with assumption that there is no heat
dissipation. Remember, this parameter affects the three functions such as integral, proportion and differential, the smaller t is, the
stronger proportion and integral function are but weaker differential, after all, the system feedback is promoted, vice versa. If t ≤ 1, the
differential function will be off.
Control type CtrL:
(Do follow the default setting, or the system may be unable to work)
When CtrL=2, startup auto-tune function, after that, system will go to 3.
When CtrL=3, adopts advanced AI adjustment. After auto-tune, the system goes to this setting mode. Note that in this mode, you
cannot startup auto-tune function from the panel by holding button, for a protection of repeating auto-tune.
Parameters lock - LOC:
Please set LOC to “808” in order to unlock the parameter settings. Otherwise, please keep it at default: “0”.

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PARAMETERSETTING
In the “normal state”, press the “SET”key for 2 seconds, you will see the parameter “M5”pop up and press “←”, “↑”
or “↓” to modify the parameters.
Press the “SET”key for 1 second to go to next parameter and press “←” for 2 seconds to return to preceding parameter.
Press “←” and then press “SET”to return to “normal state”. Alternatively, not using the keys for about 30 seconds will
automatically cause the meter to exit from “parameter setting state”and return to the “normal state”.
AUTO - TUNE
In order to obtain precise temperature control, customers should pay more attention to the parameters of M5, P and t. Actually, MTI’s
engineers have already made a strict high temperature pre-heating test (rate: 5℃/min) and fine-tuned on these three parameters
according to each furnace’ condition before shipping it out. Therefore, we have a confidence of satisfying over 95% customers.
However, the diversity of environment and the distinction in manufacturing for each customer, may seriously affect the operation, so,
using auto-tune function to decide these parameters for a perfect result when the temperature is not stable and the error is large:
Run the program and wait until the furnace temperature reaches to 80% of your desired temperature. For example, if your desired
target temperature was set to 800C, the Auto-tune should be started when the chamber temperature reaches 640C
Press and hold the “SET” key for 2 seconds to enter the parameter setting menu
Press the “SET” key repeatedly until “CtrL” appears on the PV screen
Set the “CtrL” to 2 and then press “←” and “SET” key simultaneously to switch back to “Running State”
You will see the SV screen flashes with “AT”, which indicates that the controller has entered the “auto-tune state”. Then, system
begins to oscillate 2-3 times and the controller automatically analyzes the furnace’s heating behavior and yields the optimal
parameters of M5, P and t.
Press and hold “←” for 2 seconds to stop Auto-tune at any time you need
Due to different temperature, the time spent for “auto-tune” may vary
Note: the parameter ‘CtrL’ will be set as 3 by the system after “auto-tune”. So, if customer needs more “auto-tune” operation for the
furnace, please reset the ‘CtrL’ to 2.
MANUAL- TUNE
Short oscillating period, you can decrease P (priority), increase M5 and t.
Long oscillating period, you can increase P (priority) as well as M5 and t.
No oscillating but offset is large, decrease M5 (priority), increase P.
Stable controlling but time-consume is too long, decrease t (priority) as well as M5, increase P.
Increase (or decrease) one of the three parameters by 30%-50%, if the controlling becomes better, continue increasing (or
deceasing), otherwise, decrease (or increase) it till get the qualified adjustment. Commonly, M5 possesses the priority, if not
enough, try P and t.