OpAL® – Open Load ALD Tool - Open Load Atomic Layer Deposition Tool

OpAL ALD Tool

A compact open-load system for Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

OpAL introduces to the market a unique thermal ALD tool with a clear and easy upgrade route to plasma, allowing the combination of both plasma and thermal ALD in a single compact tool.

Open loaded thermal ALD tool with plasma option
Field upgrade available for plasma option
Small wafer pieces up to full 200mm wafers – equally
suitable for academic and industry R&DThermal and/or plasma chemistries available for:

Oxides: HfO2, Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, ZnO, Ta2O5
Nitrides: TiN, Si3N4
Metals: Ru, Pt

OpAL ALD System Benefits:

Vapour draw or bubbling of up to four liquid or solid precursors
Can be fitted with a nitrogen purged glove box with sample entry load lock for dry environment
Easily detachable liners reduce chamber cleaning times
In-situ analytical options including spectroscopic ellipsometry linked into ALD control software

Power ahead with intuitive software

Utilising the same software platform as Oxford Instruments’ trusted PlasmaPro product family, the OpAL recipe-driven, multi-user level, PC2000TM control software is easy-to-use and tailored for rapid cycle ALD.

Images
Applications
Process Guarantees
Features
Support

Example ALD applications:

Nano-electronics
High-k gate oxides1
Storage capacitor dielectrics2 High aspect ratio diffusion barriers for Cu interconnects
Pinhole-free passivation layers for OLEDs and polymers3
Passivation of crystal silicon solar cells4
Highly conformal coatings for microfluidic and MEMS applications
Coating of nanoporous structures
Bio MEMS
Fuel cells

Oxford Instruments’ customers benefit from our process guarantees: controllable, repeatable processes developed in our own applications laboratory and backed by onsite process acceptance and support.

Up to 200 mm wafer with typical uniformity <±2%
Provides excellent step coverage even inside high aspect ratio structures
Offers superb thin film barrier properties
Low carbon contamination of Al2O3 (AES)
Amorphous, pin-hole free Al2O3 (TEM)
Excellent uniformity of HfO2, < ±2% on a 200 mm wafer (Spectroscopic Ellipsometry)

OpAL and FlexAL System Features:

Feature	OpAL	FlexAL
Substrates	Up to 200mm wafers & pieces directly on stage	Up to 200mm wafers handling and pieces on a carrier plate
Bubbled liquid & solid precursors	Up to 3	Up to 4
Max precursor source temperature	200ºC (Jacket)	200ºC (Oven & jacket)
Wafer delivery (inc source pot)	Included	Included
Mfc controlled gas lines with rapid delivery system; 1) thermal gas precursors (e.g. NH3, O2) 2) plasma gases (e.g. O2, N2, H2)	2 internally. Up to 8 in externally mounted gas pod	Up to 10 in externally mounted gas pod
Plasma	Option/field upgrade	Option
Loading	Open load	Loadlock or cassette
Clusterable to other process modules	No	Yes - inc third party MESC modules as special option
Wafer stage temperature range	25ºC – 400ºC	25ºC – 400ºC (550ºC option)
Ellipsometry ports	Yes	Yes
Swagelok 10ms rapid pulsing ALD valves	Yes	Yes

Safety Features:

Cabinet can be fitted to extraction lines and has nitrogen purge for assured health and safety compliance
Pneumatic hoist for safe opening of chamber
Can be fitted with extraction hood or nitrogen purged glove box for health and safety compliance

- A Global Reach

Oxford Instruments is committed to supporting our customers’ success. We recognise that this requires world class products complemented by world class support. Our global service force is backed by regional offices, offering rapid support wherever you are in the world.

Service Centres*

Parts Centres

Europe & Middle East

Montevrain, France
Wiesbaden, Germany
Haifa, Israel
St Petersburg, Russia
Moscow, Russia
Bristol, UK

USA

Arizona, USA
Texas, USA
San Francisco, CA, USA
Concord, MA, USA

Asia

Beijing, China
Guangzhou, China
Shanghai, China
Hong Kong
New Delhi, India
Mumbai, India
Calcutta, India
Bangalore, India
Tokyo, Japan
Kyungki-do, Korea
Penang, Malaysia
Singapore
Taiwan County, Taiwan

Asia

Shanghai, China
Taiwan County, Taiwan

EMEA

Bristol, UK

USA

Concord, MA, USA

*Includes agents with OIPT trained engineers

For information on our Flexible Support Agreements please visit our Support pages

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