Att (1) Specifications.pdf

Procurement of an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) Reactor with Integrated Glovebox Transfer System

Background

This procurement is directed to obtain an advanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) with an integrated glovebox transfer system. The Optoelectronics and Radiation Effects Branch of the Electronics Science and Technology Division is already involved in developing low temperature growth of ultrathin oxides and metals. These materials are of interest to the US Navy since they serve has high quality gate dielectrics for next generation transistor technology, protective and/or functional coatings required of new advanced optoelectronic material systems, and active layers modulating IR sources. A major challenge for many advanced material systems arises from having high surface reactivity, compounded by large surface to volume ratios, leading to the degradation of device properties on exposure to atmosphere or subsequent processing conditions. Therefore, passivation and protection are critical for next generation material systems, and an ALD system optimized for this purpose offers many ways to do so: oxide removal, defect passivation, and conformal coating with electrical, UV, and chemical barriers. This procurement will enable Branch personnel to continue to perform research and development in the growth of desired thin films for the targeted electronic and optoelectronic devices. The equipment will be housed in a laboratory in located on the Naval Research Lab, in Washington, DC.

General Specifications

The system comprises a configurable atomic layer deposition (ALD) reactor integrated with an atmospherically controlled glovebox through an automated load lock system for advanced process control. The reactor consists of a single hot-walled, viscous flow reaction chamber that is serviced by gas handling, vacuum, and AC heating systems, and is capable of operating in both traditional thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD) modes.

Furthermore, for the ALD modes of operation, the system should be able to operate in a variable residence mode that controls the reactor pressure, using a downstream variable conductance to permit coating of high aspect ratio surface topographies, as well as, provide a rapid change in surface temperature. The reactor should have an automatic two door load lock transfer system designed to interface a multiport glovebox with the ALD chamber. The two door system allows for samples to be loaded either within an inert, (controlled environment) glovebox environment or to atmosphere. Samples should be automatically transferred without introducing contaminates into the growth chamber. The reactor should use a gas diffusion barrier to keep particulates away from the sample loading area, focus precursor at the sample surface, and eliminate the need of mechanically actuated isolation parts during processing. The reactor should accommodate at least 8 precursor ports (with the ability to upgrade to at least 12 precursors) and at least 4 gas lines (with the ability to upgrade to additional gases in the future as required). Additionally, the reactor should have an integrated in-situ ellipsometer for real-time structural analysis of deposited films, with additional diagnostic ports for chemical analysis and leak testing leading to advanced process control. In general, the reactor should be modular so that the system can be upgraded in the future for additional sources, chambers, gloveboxes, pumps, and diagnostic ports. Furthermore, the ALD reactor and the ellipsometer should be computer controlled and the reactor should have an integral safety system.

Detailed ALD Reactor Specifications

1. ALD Reactor Chamber

a. The reactor chamber must be constructed of stainless steel consistent with commercial high vacuum processes and copper free. It is preferred to have a single chamber reactor with a reactor lid integrated with four separate chamber inlets for precursor delivery (not including plasma) through a radial showerhead design. The design should allow for faster heating of samples, efficient vapor and gas delivery, and straightforward in situ real-time analysis of deposition (via ellipsometry, QCM, RGA, etc.).

b. The chamber cannot use mechanical isolation devices to shutter the plasma source nor to protect port windows from unwanted film deposition. The use of shutters can lead to undesired flow disruptions, as well as the formation of particulates that can negatively impact the process.

c. There should be at least two ports with ideal take-off angles (65o – 75o) for in situ ellipsometry measurements and one dedicated valve port for easy helium mass spectrometer leak detection.

d. The reactor chamber must be heated to achieve hot wall operation. The heating should be resistive and include an insulating jacket. Reactor wall temperatures up to 250oC must be possible. The temperature should be programmable through operational control software and controlled with a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm. The reactor lid and precursor inputs should be fully clad with Aluminum blocks to maintain heating uniformity ≤ ±5%. The reactor chamber, lid, and exhaust must be independently actively heated in order to create a thermal gradient- thereby, avoiding cold spots within the system that could be a potential cause for condensation and contamination.

e. Reactor shape and gas introductions must provide laminar flow conditions at the substrate. Gas introduction should be at the top of the reactor. Documentation to verify laminar flow conditions at the substrate should be provided by the offerer.

Laminar flow is required to ensure deposition uniformity, radical efficiency maximization, and minimal precursor use and cycle times.

f. It is preferred that the internal surfaces of the reactor be appropriately treated to enhance coating adhesion on the sample surface and to make reactor cleaning more efficient and effective. This can include a method of minimizing precursor interactions with the chamber sidewalls and ports, and focusing the precursors at the substrate, such as an inert gas shroud.

g. Reactor must be equipped with a heated chuck that is able to accommodate sample sizes ranging from chips of a few mm extent to 150 mm diameter substrates, and be designed to promote laminar flow patterns (1e). The reactor should be able to process these substrate sizes without any changes to the load lock or process chamber. Furthermore, the 150 mm substrate heater must operate between ambient to > 450oC with ≤ ± 3% non-uniformity and work independently from the reactor chamber, lid, and exhaust heating.

h. Sample loading will be consistent with automatic load lock operation. Sample holder and transfer mechanism must be able to load into the ALD chamber under viscous laminar flow conditions. Sample entry port must be gate-valved. The sample entry port should be designed to prohibit any deposition on or near the gate-valve, o-rings, or operating mechanism to ensure reasonable operating life. The gate-valve shield design, such as an inert gas shroud, should block any deposition or particles from getting into the gate-valve and sample loading areas and provide a clean transfer.

i. The reactor design should be completely modular to allow for system modifications and upgrades including ozone integration, replacement chamber, addition of in situ diagnostic ports, and/or addition of transfer systems to incorporate into a cluster tool.

2. Gas Delivery System

a. The system must separate the precursors and co-reactants using 4 individual reactor inputs (referred to as Positions 1-4) that feed into the reactor through a top mounted radial showerhead and baffle design for uniform distribution.

i. Position 1: Single vapor delivery source for high vapor pressure liquids/solids. This source shall:

1. Be able to accommodate at least one 50 cubic centimeter ampule.

2. Have at least three independently controlled heater zones up to

200oC with less than +/-5% heater non-uniformity per zone.

3. Must be modular to accommodate future upgrades to the number of precursor sources

ii. Position 2 & 4: Flow through vapor delivery source for low vapor pressure liquids/solids.

1. Precursor cylinders can be fully enclosed in an oven or clad with fit for purpose thermal reservoir blocks and independently heated with a minimum of 4 independent heater zones controlled up to 200oC and 250oC at the input line.

2. The flow through sources will have the ability to charge the bubbler with inert gas or use a software controlled bypass valve allowing the cylinder to behave as a vapor draw system.

iii. Position 3: Multi-source vapor delivery source for moderate to high vapor pressure liquids/solids. This source shall:

1. Be able to accommodate at least five 50 cubic centimeters ampoules connected in parallel.

2. Have an independent input line for a carrier gas.

3. Have at least seven independently controlled heater zones (one at the input line, one at the valve, and one for each source ampoule) up to 250oC with less than 5% heater non-uniformity per zone.

4. Each 50cubic centimeter ampoule can be clad with fit for purpose thermal reservoir blocks and heater jacket

b. The system must come with at least 8 (precursor injection points) for metalorganic and co-reactant precursors with the ability to upgrade to at least 12 precursor injection points. Each delivery source will have a minimum of three independent heater zones and be independently controlled up to 200oC with ± 5% uniformity or better. Precursor delivery lines (Position 1-4) must be clad with fit for purpose thermal reservoir blocks, heating shall be accomplished with resistive heating tapes and insulating jackets around this cladding/ thermal reservoir. Heated surfaces should be insulated for efficient and stable operation. All parts of each gas delivery line from the precursor bubbler to the entry port into the reactor should be heated in the described manner and up to 200oC or higher with ± 5% uniformity or better.

c. Each source must include a fast actuating ALD valve capable of operation at 200oC with ± 5% uniformity or better and with an actuation speed of 15 x 10-3 seconds or less. The valve control signal must have a resolution of 10micro seconds. ALD valves shall be constantly purged to ensure cleanliness and reasonable operating life and use a 3-port design.

d. For the purpose of transporting metalorganic precursors and co-reactants to the reactor, each input line will have independent carrier gas flow and will be regulated by a mass flow controller (0-200 standard cubic centimeters per minute or more) of the serial control interface and metal sealed variety. Each mass flow controller will be compatible with argon or nitrogen gasses and equipped with an isolation valve.

e. The system must have an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) plasma source that can be used for plasma-enhanced ALD. This source shall include:

i. Four plasma gas lines must be provided. Each line shall be constructed of materials and fittings compatible with the use of hydrogen, oxygen, argon, nitrogen, and ammonia.

ii. The system should be expandable to up to 6 or more plasma gas lines. Each line shall be constructed of materials and connections compatible with the use of hydrogen, oxygen, argon, nitrogen, and ammonia.

iii. Each plasma gas source line flow shall be metered by mass flow controllers (0-200 standard cubic centimeters per minute or more) of the serial control interface and metal sealed variety with both upstream and downstream isolation valves with indicator switches.

iv. System will include a gas compatibility programmable logic controller (PLC) to prevent mixing of incompatible gases, such as hydrogen and oxygen.

v. Optional upgrade to include an ozone source that delivers ozone through the ICP when enabled.

f. All precursor sources (metalorganic or gas) must be housed in an integrated, vented gas cabinet that permits the mounting of up to 2 additional gas sources and 2 mass flow controllers, etc.

g. All integral fittings of the precursor delivery system (required and optional) must be of the metal-sealed type.

h. Appropriate porting for compressed air to operate pneumatic valves at ≥ 80 psi must be provided.

3. Plasma Source

a. System must be equipped with a remote inductively coupled high-density plasma

(ICP) source mounted at the top of the reactor.

b. The ICP source must be capable of pulsed operation with less than 1 sec on/off time.

c. The ICP source must come complete with a differentially pumped remote plasma source, RF power supply (50-1000W) operating at 13.56 MHz frequency, automated matching network, and suitable software interfacing to allow control through the system operational control system (see below).

d. The ICP source must be operated WITHOUT the aid of a shutter during processing as pulsing of the plasma activated precursor species must be accomplished through pulse operation of the plasma source itself. Shutter operation can lead to undesired flow disruptions that can result in non-laminar flow and have a negative impact on the process. Where unshuttered, continuous operation (i.e. not pulsed) can lead to undesired charge incorporation into the deposited films

e. To reduce maintenance concerns and ensure stable performance of the ICP source during operation, a bypass channel will be used to ensure continuous flow of reactant gas during operation.

f. The ICP source shall be fed gases from 4 gas lines with expandability up to a total of 6 gas lines, see section 2. Construction materials must be compatible with the use of oxygen, hydrogen, argon, nitrogen, and ammonia.

g. The plasma source will be cooled with chilled water with a flow rate between 0.45

- .55 GPM.

4. Pumping System

a. The system shall provide a quick connect configured port for a dry process vacuum pump (≥ 42 cubic feet per minute at 100 mTorr pressure) for easy removal from the system.

b. The reactor must be equipped with an appropriate oil-free, dry process pump with pumping speed greater than or equal to 45 CFM at 100 mTorr. The vacuum system should include foreline purge/vent protection to safeguard the reactor from back streaming contaminants.

c. The system should include a variable residence mode throttle valve that can operate in full static mode that isolates the reactor from gas inlets and pumping after precursor injection, to permit coating of high aspect ratio surface topographies, as well as, a variable mode that provides a rapid change in sample surface temperature;

thereby, creating an in situ rapid anneal of the thin film. The throttle valve should come with the associated valve controller and software interface to the controller.

d. The exhaust lines should be heated up to 200oC and incorporate at the connection point, high conductance foreline particle filtration (filters and filter housing), whose primary purpose is to keep non-volatile reaction products out of the dry pump and prolong its operating lifetime. The trap should be capable of removal and re-installation to permit routine cleaning or regeneration.

e. The system must come equipped with appropriately ranged vacuum gauges for process monitoring and control with individual gauges on the process chamber, exhaust lines, and load lock.

5. Reactor Enclosure

a. The entire reactor is to be enclosed in aluminum frame and/or polycarbonate housing with removable panels for easy access and maintenance. Housing acts as a primary barrier to leaks where all doors are to be sealed and no external gas cabinets are required.

b. The enclosure must contain ports for connections to an existing NRL fan/duct system.

c. The electronic controls for the reactor such as the programmable logic controller Ffor the system control and interlock handling, DC/AC supply, interface units, ground leakage protection, and safety devices are all appropriately housed in the reactor cabinet.

Detailed Load Lock Transfer System Specifications

1. The system will encompass a dual door single wafer vacuum load lock system that can reach a base pressure of 5 x 10-7 Torr or better and is glovebox ready.

a. The single wafer load lock will consist of two doors, with the door closest to the ALD reactor is at atmosphere while the second door opens to the glovebox environment.

b. Both load lock doors will have proximity switches and screw closures to prevent an overpressure within the Glovebox.

c. The load lock system should be equipped with a turbomolecular pump with a minimum pumping speed of 280 liter/second and backed by an oil-free, dry scroll pump. To meet the standardized vacuum pump criteria, the scroll pump must be able to pump to 5.0 mTorr or better. The system will contain a high vacuum isolation valve between the turbomolecular pump and the mechanical pump to allow for fast pump down and venting of the chamber.

d. The load lock will directly interface with the ALD reactor chamber and the glovebox while using a high vacuum slit valve to isolate the ALD reactor chamber.

e. The load lock will have a dedicated leak check port for vacuum diagnostic equipment

2. The system will have an automated sample transfer system using a linear rack and pinion transfer probe mounted directly to the load lock

a. The transfer system will be programmed for two loading positions consistent with the load lock doors as described in 1a.

b. System will have the ability to load samples into the ALD chamber under viscous laminar flow conditions that establish a diffusion barrier; thereby, keeping particulates away from sample loading area.

Detailed Glovebox Specifications

1. The system must have a sealed, single length 4-port glovebox system that can be directly interfaced to the ALD load lock transfer system (see above).

2. The glovebox will be stainless steel on 5 sides and have a polycarbonate see through window on the front where the operator uses the glovebox. There will be at least four replaceable butyl rubber gloves in the front window. The gloves should be handed, i.e.

left-handed on the left and right-handed on the right. It is preferable that the whole unit be mounted on casters.

3. The glovebox shall have an inner working space of at least 71 inches in length x 30 inches in depth x 35 inches in height.

4. The glovebox shall have a maximum footprint of 34 inches x 113 inches including all components.

5. The glovebox must be equipped with a single column recirculating gas purification system.

6. The unit should have a feature to allow the flow to bypass the purification system and send the purge directly through a port that will be connected to a fume hood (i.e. glovebox purge).

7. The glovebox shall achieve and maintain less than 1ppm oxygen and moisture (H2O) at equilibrium.

8. The glovebox shall come with a vacuum pump with a minimum pumping speed of 7.5 CFM or higher.

9. The glovebox shall have an automatic purge valve and be able to be purged with N2 and Ar.

10. The glovebox shall not require cooling water.

11. There shall be an industrial programmable logic controller (PLC) that monitors and controls the complete system through a menu driven interface control on an operator touch screen graphical display. It shall have built-in programmed control of purifier regeneration, lab pressure and built-in system diagnostics.

12. The PLC shall have a built-in safety interlock that will not allow the user to initiate a regeneration cycle while the circulation valves are open.

13. The PLC shall have a built-in safety interlock that will shut down the vacuum and add inert gas if the pressure gets too low (i.e. a level such that the gloves/glovebox might implode), and will turn on the vacuum pump if the pressure gets too high (i.e. a level such that gloves/glovebox might explode).

14. The PLC shall have a built-in safety interlock that will shut off the blower if the isolation valves are closed.

15. The glove box shall be equipped with an oxygen analyzer to monitor the glove box atmosphere between 0 – 1,000 ppm. The analyzer shall allow the user to calibrate for any drift inherent with electronic test equipment. The analyzer shall not be susceptible to hydrocarbon and shall be specific to oxygen.

16. The glovebox shall be equipped with a moisture (H2O) analyzer that can measure between 0 – 1,000 ppm. Systems that need to be serviced every 3 months or more are not acceptable.

17. Both the oxygen and moisture (H2O) analyzers shall be installed to sense the inside of the glovebox itself.

18. The box shall come with two antechambers, one large and one small, mounted on the right side panel. The large antechamber shall be a maximum of 15’’ in diameter and a maximum 24’’ long to allow for larger items to come in and out of the glovebox. There shall be a tray in the larger antechamber which slides into and out of the glovebox for easy transfer of items into and out of the glovebox. The small antechamber should be at least 6’’ in diameter and at least 12’’ long and should be able to be evacuated in less than 1 min.

19. Antechamber doors and the antechambers shall be aluminum.

20. There shall be at least one adjustable shelf mounted on the back panel of the box.

21. There shall be LED lights in the box capable of illuminating the whole box.

22. The power requirement shall be 115/220 VAC, 50/60 Hz operation.

23. There shall be an electrical junction box inside of the glovebox with at least 2 outlets (115

VAC) to power instruments inside the box.

24. The glovebox shall have a foot switch used to raise and lower the inert gas pressure in the glovebox.

25. The glovebox shall have electropneumatic circulation/isolation valves for simplicity of operation and repair.

Detailed Integrated In-situ, Deep-UV to Near IR Ellipsometer Specifications

1. The system will include an integrated in-situ multi-wavelength ellipsometer ranging from the deep-UV to the near IR (193 – 1690 nm) with a continuously rotating compensator ellipsometer (RCE) design and high speed parallel CCD detector to simultaneously collect the entire spectrum.

2. The ellipsometer must be able to measure % Depolarization, Generalized Ellipsometric parameters (Psi and Delta), and Mueller Matrix (11 normalized elements of the Mueller Matrix).

3. The instrument should be capable of measuring the full spectrum in less than 0.06 seconds.

This includes measurement of Psi, Delta, and %Depolarization. This includes measurement of all three Fourier Coefficients (N, C, and S). Where N = COS(2Psi), C = SIN(2Psi)COS(Delta), S = SIN(2Psi)SIN(Delta).

4. The ellipsometer should use either a quartz tungsten halogen (QTH) or Deuterium light source.

5. The RCE design should operate with a rotation rate ≥ 20 Hz and a beam deviation of < 1 arcmin allowing for accurate determination of Psi and Delta over the entire wavelength range (0o – 90o for Psi and 0o – 360o for Delta).

6. The ellipsometer should use a MgF2 Rochon polarizer with a beam deviation < 1 arcmin and extinction ratio of ≤ 1 x 10-6

7. The ellipsometer should be able to provide proof of thickness repeatability of ≤ 0.003 nm, for example measuring a calibrated SiO2 film at a fixed angle and ten second averaging with a fixed sample position.

8. The ellipsometer will have the ability to perform true real-time measurements of the ellipsometric parameters psi, delta and %Depolarization with sub-monolayer sensitivity on the sample during the ALD process. This integration will provide a unique capability of the system to allow for end-point process control once a particular value of interest (thickness, optical constants, etc.) is reached.

9. The ellipsometer will be attached to the main ALD system chamber with a fixed takeoff angle between 65o and 75o.

10. The chamber ellipsometer ports cannot use mechanical isolation devices to protect port windows from unwanted film deposition. The use of shutters can lead to undesired flow disruptions, as well as the formation of particulates that can negatively impact the process.

Therefore, a method of minimizing precursor interactions with the ellipsometer ports, such as gas shrouding or purging, needs to be incorporated into the ALD chamber design, as discussed in section 1b of the ALD reactor specifications.

Operational Control

1. The ALD reactor is computer controlled via an electronic control unit that is also interfaced to a Windows-10 based computer system; the computer will have the following properties:

a. PC-based current generation computer system with

i. A hard disk memory storage of at least 500 Gbytes,

ii. System memory of at least 8 Gbytes,

iii. One LCD monitors of 21-inch or larger diagonal, flat panel preferred.

iv. Ethernet interface to ALD control electronics.

b. Running on the computer system will be a custom designed, dedicated software package for control and monitoring the process,

i. The software shall provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for reactor control and monitoring.

ii. Software should support multiple user accounts and passwords with different levels of access such as user, process engineer, maintenance/technical/service, and operator.

iii. The software must allow development of processes and come with example processes for growing films by thermal ALD and plasma enhanced ALD (PEALD). Furthermore, the software should be able to load and save user developed recipes.

iv. The software must permit control of each aspect of the process in either manual or recipe (automatic) modes of operation.

v. The software must provide precursor heating control in order to prevent thermal decomposition of the precursors.

vi. The software must allow separate control of the full range of each variable of the growth process, including, substrate temperature (room temperature to 500oC ± ≤ 3%), precursor temperature (room temperature to 200oC ± ≤ 5%), gas mass flows (0 to 200 sccm for plasma sources and 0 to 200 sccm for the metalorganic precursors), gas delivery selection through valve actuation, pulse time (0.010 to 1 second), plasma source conditions, etc.

vii. The software should provide simultaneous standard chart recording of ≥ 10 different process signals, including chamber pressure and temperature, substrate temperature, precursor temperature, plasma source conditions, etc.

viii. The software must provide a real-time plotting of precursor pulses during growth with < 15 Hz resolution or better.

ix. The software should provide real-time ellipsometer feedback during film processing where certain signals such as thickness can be charted. It would be desirable for the software to be programmable for end-point process control to allow the ellipsometer output to trigger a stoppage in growth when a particular target parameter value is reached.

x. The software should provide automatic data logging of login/logout events, recipes executed, process variables, ellipsometric feedback, system warnings, alarms, and status messages.

xi. The software must be capable of dynamic process adjustment and emergency shutdown in the event of any process parameter moving out of a predefined window.

xii. Also integral to the software will be safety monitoring that will be capable of triggering a safety shutdown when there is a major system failure.

c. The software should be flexible for new operations and upgrades as additional functionalities are added free of charge.

d. The Contractor must supply a set of parameters and processes that will run on the dedicated software program for performing the deposition of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), hafnium oxide (HfO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), titanium nitride (TiN), and aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films.

2. The ellipsometer is computer controlled via an electronic control unit that is interfaced to the same Windows-10 based computer system that controls the ALD reactor.

a. Running on the computer system will be a custom designed, dedicated software package for control and process monitoring.

i. The software shall provide a graphical user interface (GUI) for data acquisition, data analysis, optical simulations, and routine calibrations.

ii. The software will allow for complete analysis of the thin films and provide a database of optical parameters and models associated with a variety of commonly known materials.

iii. Software should support multiple user accounts and passwords.

b. Furthermore, the ellipsometer should be able to interface with the main ALD system’s operating software allowing for data acquisition and end-point control.

Documentation:

Also included upon delivery is at least one complete document set (printed and electronic) written in the English language containing, operating manual, service manual, sub-suppliers manuals of the various subsystems components, list of components, flowcharts, wiring diagrams, list of interlocks, factory settings, safety system overview, details on obtaining on-line or telephone assistance, and a spare parts list.

Safety

The ALD reactor must have a safety system that addresses each of the following requirements:

1. Continuous monitoring of electronic control unit and its onboard microprocessors. In case of failure or malfunction, system shall shut down all heaters and the RF power to the ICP plasma, set all flows to zero and close all valves.

2. Continuous monitoring of control software communications. In case of failure or malfunction, system shall shut down all heaters and the RF power to the ICP plasma source, set all flows to zero and close all valves.

3. An emergency main power off circuit shall be provided that can be manually or automatically activated.

4. Process control software and associated control electronics shall prevent operation that could damage the equipment or create a hazard as related to vacuum, heating, cooling, and other hardware interlocks including those for the ICP source.

5. All heater sources shall operate with an adjustable power limit to prevent overheating of components.

6. All hot zones shall be insulated and labeled with safety warnings.

7. Safety interlocks required (minimum):

a. Process interlock with vacuum pressure. Cannot start a process unless pressure is < 1Torr.

b. Process interlock with thermal monitor. If any temperature monitor is not producing a signal, process cannot be started.

c. Use of a gas compatibility programmable logic controller (PLC) to prevent mixing of incompatible gases, such as hydrogen and oxygen.

d. Additional interlocks available for future upgrades – load lock, turbomolecular pump, and other energetic sources (other than ICP).

8. System shall provide up to two emergency main power off buttons.

9. Each alarm will be announced by visual signal identifying the alarm on the process display monitor and logged into the data logging portion of the dedicated ALD system operating software.

Installation

The installation of the system shall be performed by engineers supplied by the Contractor.

NRL shall be responsible for providing the Contractor with access to the space where the tool will reside, all of the required facility utilities, which include power, ventilation, and cooling water supplies that will be prepared to the Contractor’s specification. NRL will provide all of the required gas sources and these will be in-place as per the Contractor’s specifications.

1. In order to facilitate this, at the time of the contract award, the Contractor shall provide NRL with all the facility’s requirements that are necessary so that all of the required utilities will be in-place prior to the time of the installation.

2. The Contractor must provide personnel who will install the tool into the NRL facility. The Contractor shall inform NRL at the time of award of material and personnel requirements for the installation process. The Contractor will also oversee the unpacking of the tool, positioning, and subsequent installation. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that safety procedures are followed during this process.

3. Upon completion of the physical installation, the Contractor supplied personnel shall ensure that all components of the system are properly operating. They will then proceed to ensure that all of the specifications are met as detailed under Performance Requirements within 60 days of completion of physical installation.

Training

The Contactor must provide training for NRL personnel on the use, maintenance and basic repair procedures for the reactor and glovebox. Information will be provided regarding the various components of the reactor system and their function. As part of the training NRL personnel will be taught how to grow Al2O3, HfO2 and AlN thin films. This training will include all of the procedures including wafer preparation, wafer insertion into the system, bringing the system up to operating temperatures, performing the growth and subsequent system cool down, venting and wafer removal. Furthermore, as a part of the training NRL personnel will be taught how to load/remove samples through the glovebox antechambers, monitor O2 levels, and how to re-generate the purifier catalyst when the O2 levels in the box begin to creep up over time. This training shall be performed under the supervision of Contractor supplied personnel. This training should be done in a single stage and coordinated with installation at NRL and be for a period of at least three days.

The training shall include both the hardware and software aspects of the system. NRL personnel will be shown how to configure a growth run, shown which sensor readings are key to a good run, how to interpret the variations in sensor readings and when to stop a run.

The Contractor must provide training for NRL personnel through a Sub-contractor on the use, maintenance and basic repair procedures for the in-situ ellipsometer separately from the installation of the ALD and glovebox system. Information will be provided regarding the various components of the ellipsometer and their function. As part of the training NRL personnel will be taught how to focus the light source to maximize signal intensity on samples located within the ALD reactor chamber, how to replace light sources, and basic analysis of ellipsometric parameters psi and delta. The on-site training should be done in a single stage and coordinated with the installation of the ALD-glovebox system at NRL and be for a period of at least one day. The Contractor should include registration in an off-site classroom type training that covers the basics of ellipsometry modeling and data analysis for a period of three days.

The training program will be for a minimum of 2 NRL personnel.

Performance Requirements

1. The Contractor must be able to document the successful manufacture, installation, and operation of an atomic layer deposition reactor of the type described in the General and Detailed Specifications for the growth of thermally deposited Al2O3, HfO2, and plasma deposited AlN.

2. The Contractor must perform testing at the factory on the actual equipment to be installed at NRL to demonstrate the following:

a. No leaks in the reactor tubing and seals as detected by a calibrated helium leak detector (supplied by NRL) down to > 10-9 Torr-l/s;

b. Base pressure in the range of 10-2 Torr

c. Process gas flows stable within ± 2% at process related flows, for a period of two hours

d. Substrate heater temperature ≥ 400oC ≤ ± 3% with an argon flow of approx. 20 standard centimeters per minute for a period of two hours.

e. Delivery line temperatures and valve assemblies (Source 1-4, chamber lid, MFCs, and isolation valves) temperature uniformity ≤ ± 5% with an argon flow of approx.

20 standard centimeters per minute for a period of two hours.

f. Installation shall include demonstration that the glovebox is in compliance with the specifications found in Detail Glovebox Specifications.

3. In addition, the Contractor shall demonstrate the performance of the actual reactor to be installed at NRL, by growing the following layers in it on 150 mm Si wafers:

a. Al2O3 greater than 100 nm thick film with ≤ ± 2% or better, excluding a 10 mm exclusion zone from the edge of the wafer using both thermal and plasma enhanced

ALD. The index of refraction of these films shall be ≥ 1.60 with uniformity ≤ ± 1.5% or better at a wavelength of 633nm.

b. HfO2 greater than 100 nm thick film with ≤ ± 2% or better, excluding a 10 mm exclusion zone from the edge of the wafer using thermal ALD. The index of refraction of these films shall be ≥ 2.00 with uniformity ≤ ± 1.5% or better at a wavelength of 633nm.

c. AlN greater than 100nm thick film with ≤ ± 4% or better uniformity, excluding a 10 mm exclusion zone from the edge of the wafer using plasma enhanced ALD.

The index of refraction of these films shall be ≥ 1.92 with uniformity ≤ ± 1.5% or better at a wavelength of 633nm. Films must contain low oxygen content ≤ 2%, recently published results can be accepted.

4. The Contractor must verify after installation on site at NRL that no significant damage has occurred in transport or installation by repeating the factory tests dictated in Performance Requirement 3 and demonstrating results remain within these specifications

5. NRL will provide acceptance testing of said films through a combination of ellipsometry, x-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy step-profilometry measurements.

6. The ellipsometer shall be tested separately from the ALD-glovebox system by a designated Sub-contractor provided by the original Contractor for compliance with specifications found in Detailed Integrated In-situ, Deep-UV to Near IR Ellipsometer Specifications.

7. The Contractor shall provide factory testing and compliance results from the actual system to be installed at NRL and a Certificate of Compliance guaranteeing that all the requirements of this specification have been met.

Warranty

The system shall be provided with a 1-year factory warranty that covers all parts, labor and travel expenses for on-site support of the equipment. The warranty period shall begin on the date of system acceptance. In addition, the Contractor shall register all equipment requiring warranty by other manufacturers; such warranties shall also be effective from the date of system acceptance.

The warranty terms and options must be included in the system price.