Thermionics e-Gun RCRF-0325 User manual

thermionics laboratory, inc
3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 1
Model RCRF-0325/0338
3 kW Rod Fed e-Gun
Evaporation Source Manual
Thermionics Laboratory, Inc.
Modesto CA 95351
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.thermionics.com

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 2
Safety Instructions
DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE
A. Before servicing or operating this equipment, read this manual and the associated e-Gun
power supply manual paying special attention to ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.
B. The high voltage used by these evaporation sources can be INSTANTLY FATAL.
Furthermore, due to internal capacitance in the power supply, THIS LETHAL VOLTAGE
CAN PERSIST EVEN AFTER THE POWER SUPPLY HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. Before
entering the chamber make sure that the power supply is off and then use a grounding
hook on the high voltage leads from the e-gun. Do not touch the high voltage leads
unless the power supply is turned off and the grounding hook is attached to the part to be
serviced. All grounding hooks are supplied with Thermionics brand power supplies.
C. E-gun systems must be clean. Use lint free gloves when handling vacuum components.
As the e-gun source is operated coating will build up in the vacuum system and in time
create particulates (“flaking of the coating”). A periodic cleaning procedure should be
employed to prevent shorting and/or contamination of the e-gun source. Aluminum foil is
a popular way of shielding the vacuum system from unwanted coating build up with an
inexpensive, disposable material.
D.Operation of an e-gun source without proper water-cooling WILL result in failure of the
source. A water flow interlock switch should always be used to assure proper water flow.
THEORY OF OPERATION
An electron beam evaporation source uses a beam of focused electrons to vaporize
material in a high vacuum environment. The vaporized material then condenses on an
object (called a substrate) in the same high vacuum chamber to form a thin film of
material. The material, which is evaporated to create the film, can be anything that is solid
in the vacuum environment, such as gold, silicon dioxide, or some mixture of substances,
depending on the specific application. The vapor emitted from an e-gun source can be
roughly calculated using cosine distribution as a model. Small deviations do exist from
this model due to the e-guns magnetic field and the ability of many materials to become
ionized during the evaporation process.
To evaporate a material with an e-gun source, a load (or “charge”) of material is placed in
a water-cooled copper crucible inside a vacuum chamber. Then a substrate is placed
above the crucible to receive the vapor (normally 10 to 14 inches for a 3kW source). The
chamber is evacuated. A filament, held in a cathode assembly is given a high negative
potential relative to the grounded crucible. The filament is heated to the point of
thermionic emission by an electric current. The liberated electrons are then accelerated
away from the filament by a grounded anode plate placed just outside of the cathode
assembly. The accelerated electrons are injected into a permanent magnetic field that
directs and focuses the electrons to the water-cooled crucible. The accelerated electrons
kinetic energy is transformed to thermal energy as they impact the evaporant material
placed in the crucible. Temperature in excess of 3500 degrees Celsius can be easily
achieved allowing the direct evaporation of virtually any material.

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 3
INSTALLATION
The following components are required for customer installed rod fed e-gun systems:
A. Interlock switches: water, vacuum and high voltage access.
B. Filtered water at 1 gpm at 50 psi.
C. High Voltage power supply. TLI model 150-0040 or equivalent.
TO INSTALL THE E-GUN SYSTEM
1. Mount the e-gun in the chamber. Make sure that the source is grounded to the
chamber.
2. Connect all interlocks.
3. Connect external grounds (mandatory power supply ground and independent earth
ground); high Voltage cables and sweep cables per power supply manual(s).
4. Assure water flow of 1 gpm with a pressure of 30 psi or above.

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 4
OPERATION
CRUCIBLE PREPARATION
Cleanliness is critical for high quality films and trouble free operation. CLEAN the crucible
thoroughly before each new material is used. Heavy buildup of the previous material on
the crucible can cause contamination of the melt. The crucible should be cleaned with an
abrasive pad (“scotch bright”) and then vacuumed out. It should then be wiped out with
acetone and alcohol. Cleaning by glass bead blasting is another alternative. When using
a glass bead blaster make sure to keep the air pressure at 40psi. The source should be
disassembled prior to glass bead blasting and special attention should be given to
removal of all glass from the parts after cleaning (glass is a dielectric material and will
cause severe arcing if left on the source). Inspect the crucible bore and ensure that it is
clear of any material that may prevent advancement of the material rod.
CHOOSING EVAPORATION MATERIAL
Material for evaporation comes in a variety of forms and purities. Typically the process
will determine purity. The Rod fed eGun requires material in a rod form. This material
form is readily available and allows you to advance the material as the material is
evaporated. Recommended sizes: RCRF-0325: 0.245 +0.000”/-0.005”; RCRF-0338:
0.374 +0.000”/-0,005”
LOADING THE CRUCIBLE
Running the e-Gun with an empty crucible will destroy the source. Insert the rod into
the crucible and slide it until it seats in the coupling on the linear feedthrough. Retract the
rod until 2-3 mm is left showing above the crucible.

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 5
FINAL CHECK PRIOR TO PUMPDOWN
1. Turn on the water and check visually for leaks.
2. Make sure the crucible is loaded with material.
3. Visually check the high voltage and sweep leads making sure you have ½ inch
clearance around all high voltage leads. Make sure the sweep leads do no pass
directly behind the source (if they must make sure to install a grounded shield around
them).
At this point you are ready to pump down the system.
WARNING: e-GUN SYSTEMS REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT EARTH GROUND IN
ADDITION TO POWER SUPPLY RETURN AND SAFETY GROUND. SEE APPENDIX B
FOR DETAILS.
e-GUN OPERATION
1. Make sure the vacuum chamber is operating at a pressure less than 5x10^-4 Torr.
2. Make certain all interlocks are operating properly. All grounds must be secure.
3. Turn on the e-GUN cooling water (this should be interlocked to the high voltage
power supply).
4. Assure desired crucible is selected and properly located.
5. Set the power supply emission current potentiometer to zero.
6. Turn on the power supply and check to see that all interlocks are satisfied.
7. Turn on the high voltage. Thermionics 150-0040 3kW power supplies use a fixed
voltage. If using a variable voltage power supply, slowly bring up voltage to negative
4,200 volts DC.
8. Turn on the emission current and slowly increase the potentiometer until you see a
slight glow on the tip of the rod. This will normally appear as a blue glow at an
emission current of about 20 to 30 milliamperes. Slowly increase the power to 50
milliamperes, or until you can clearly see the beam spot.
9. Advance the rod as the material melts down to the crucible. Typical advancement
is 2-3mm.
Note: The e-gun is factory set to locate the beam just off the center of the crucible. If
the crucible is not close to center you must make adjustments. If you have a variable
voltage power supply, adjust the voltage to center the beam. If you do not have
variable voltage, you will need to make magnetic adjustments to the e-gun. Contact
the factory for adjustment procedures.
DEPOSITING MATERIALS THAT MELT
After following the above procedure (steps 1 through 8), continue to slowly increase
power in 20 to 30 milliamp increments. If the material appears unstable (flickering light or
waves in the melt) stop and let it set until it re-stabilizes (you may have to reduce power if
stability cannot be restored). Arcing will occur and is normal in e-Gun evaporation. Stop
increasing power when arcing is observed and let the source soak until arcing stops (on
melting materials arcing is normally caused by outgassing). Continue to increase power
until reaching the desired rate.

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 6
Note: Oxide formation can prevent an evaporant charge from melting in some cases.
Some metals (aluminum and copper are examples) will form an oxide that prevents
melting and causes the beam to appear unfocused. When this occurs you can invert the
melted slug and re-melt it to remove the oxide -or- replace the charge with fresh material.
DEPOSITING MATERIALS THAT DO NOT MELT (SUBLIME OR SEMI-SUBLIME)
Subliming materials may require that you defocus the beam to make it broader so that
you cover the tip of the rod. This will require removal of the dipoles. Try with the
standard configuration and if it does not work well, contact the factory for information on
the dipole removal.
Note: some subliming materials will not support electrical current until heated. This
causes surface charging on the material that results in arcing. The surface charging
effects can also cause the beam to be “scattered” behind the crucible and onto the top
plate of the e-gun. This is normal with some materials. The e-gun top plate is designed to
dissipate this energy. To evaporate materials that have surface charging effects you must
increase the “soak” times of the electron beam as you increase power. If you allow the
source to set at a power level of ~50 to ~75 milliamperes for an extended time (make
sure arcing is not severe) the material will eventually be heated sufficiently to “fire” and
the beam will stop scattering beyond the crucible. You will in many cases still see some
hazing on the e-gun source (this is normal) during evaporation. As the e-gun becomes
coated with these materials hazing may increase.
e-GUN SHUT DOWN
Once the desired rate is achieve; close shutter (if so equipped) or reduce emission
current to zero. Turn off high voltage. Allow adequate cooling time prior to venting the
system. The e-Gun must be allowed to cool of for at least 5 minutes unless venting to an
inert gas to protect the filament. Most metals will cool down quickly ~5 minutes unless
they are used in a crucible liner. Subliming and dielectric materials or metals used in
insulating liners require additional cool down time. Normally 20 minutes will be adequate
although conditions can vary.
CHANGING THE FILAMENT
Filament life is greatly affected by the vacuum level and the types of gas present in the
vacuum system (example: Oxygen partial pressures will reduce filament life). Normally
filaments will last between 200 and 800 hours. To change a filament follow the procedure
listed below (also see Appendix C):
1. Remove screws around the circumference of the shield then lower the shield.
2. Remove the emitter assembly by disconnecting the high voltage leads from the
cathode blocks (#8, #9) and then removing the set screws (#4). (See figure below)
3. Loosen both leg attachment screws (#10) and remove the anode (#15) exposing
the filament
4. Remove the filament clamp screws (#6)
5. Remove the old filament and clean the surface where the filament contacted the
cathode blocks (use a clean abrasive pad)
6. Install a new filament and replace the filament clamp screws. Snug the filament
clamp screws (#15) to allow the filament to be located but still move. Adjust the

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 7
filament so you have an even gap of .010 inches between the filament and the
beam former (see figure below). Tighten the filament clamp screws.
7. The gap between the beam former and the anode should be checked to assure a
spacing of .040 inches.
8. When looking down on the filament you should see ~1/3rd of the filament exposed.
The filament, beam former and anode should all be parallel to each other. This
spacing is very important to assure proper focusing of the electron beam.
9. Replace the emitter assembly and reconnect the high voltage leads.
10.Replace the shield.

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WARRANTY STATEMENT
Thermionics warrants each item it manufactures to be free from defects in workmanship
and material for a period of one year from date of shipment. HM2 e-Gun evaporation
sources are warranted for a period of five years from date of shipment. Minor deviations
that do not affect the performance of the equipment shall not be deemed to constitute
defects of workmanship or materials, or failure to comply with the specifications.
Not withstanding the foregoing, Thermionics shall have no warranty responsibility for
expendable items such as vacuum tubes, diodes, transistors, batteries, lamps,
mechanical pump shaft seals and oil, diffusion pump oil, gaskets, of filaments. In
addition, all vacuum gauge sensing devices such as thermocouple tubes, Pirani tubes,
ionization gauge tubes, etc. are warranted against defects in manufacture in normal use,
as determined by seller's inspection, for a period of ninety (90) days from date of
shipment, provided the defective gauge tube is returned to the seller’s plant for
inspection.
Equipment made or modified to Purchaser’s specifications on special orders shall carry
the above warranties with respect to material and workmanship, but shall be specifically
excluded from any other warranties, express or implied, including those related to
performance specifications, and any special components manufactured by others shall
carry only the original manufacturer’s warranties.
This warranty does not extend to Thermionics products that have been subject to misuse,
neglect, accident, or improper application, nor shall it extend to units that have been
substantially altered outside the seller’s plant except by Thermionics service engineers.
This warranty is expressly in lieu of all other obligations or liabilities on the part of
Thermionics unless such additional warranty is either agreed to in writing, appears in a
separate warranty statement provided to the customer, or appears in a warranty
statement accompanying the product shipped to the customer. Under no circumstance
will Thermionics be liable for consequential or resulting loss or damage, neither of nor
due to causes covered by Thermionics’ warranty. Thermionics neither assumes nor
authorizes any other person to make any other representation or warranty on its behalf,
or assume for it any liability in connect with the sale of its products.
WARRANTY REPAIR
Notice of any claim that a product is in any way defective shall be given to Thermionics
immediately upon discovery. Before any items are returned for repair and/or adjustment,
the customer must obtain Thermionics’ approval. Written authorization for the return and
instructions as to how these times should be shipped will be provided. If any Thermionics
products must be returned to the factory, they must be sent prepaid via the means of
transportation indicated as being acceptable in the written authorization. Thermionics
reserves the right to reject and warranty claim on any product that has been shipped by a
non-acceptable means of transportation.

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3kW Rod fed e-gun manual Page 9
When Thermionics products are returned for examination and inspection, it is important
that they be properly packed for shipment. Use the original packing material or
equivalent. The sender and the shipping agency must assume the responsibility for
damage resulting from improper packing, handling, or loss of transit.
When products are returned, it is very important that the customer provide Thermionics
with the data on the operating conditions and any other pertinent information, which will
enable us to determine the cause of failure. In all cases, Thermionics has sole
responsibility for determining the cause of failure, and sole discretion in determining the
nature and extent of adjustment, if any, to which a customer may be entitled.
If it is found that our product has been returned without cause and is still serviceable, the
customer will be notified and the product be returned. All shipping costs on products
returned for warranty repair shall be the customer’s responsibility. Thermionics’ sole
liability hereunder shall be the correction and/or replacement of defective materials and
workmanship.
Thermionics Laboratory, Inc. Thermionics Laboratory, Inc.
P.O. Box 3711 23950 Clawiter Rd.
Hayward, CA 94545 Hayward, CA 94540
PH: [phone] FX: [phone]