Anyone with repair experience RIE reactive ion echer

[Doug]

Anyone with repair experience RIE reactive ion echer
This one is a plasma therm 790 which tunes the matching network too far .

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Usually there is a way to add or subtract capacitance inside a auto-match network. That will change the range.

Auto-match is usually done with a roller inductor and fixed capacitances.
Manual tuners are usually done using variable vacuum capacitors.

 

[Doug]

Usually there is a way to add or subtract capacitance inside a auto-match network. That will change the range.

Auto-match is usually done with a roller inductor and fixed capacitances.
Manual tuners are usually done using variable vacuum capacitors.

 

[Doug]

This has two variable driven capacitors,one vacuum one open air.the vacuum has a 10 turn pot for reference / feedback. It snaps the stop in the pot then
Damage inside of the pot.we have set it for calibrated position.we have sent other the match and controller to match back to factory nothing wrong with controller and they set up the match network.
I have google this model and sent request for information to 5 university that have the same unit.no replies yet.
Thanks for the reply

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

That doesn't make any sense unless the direction is somehow messed up. A cable? Some connection is revered like the motor or the feedback.

I set up one made by ENI and all of our other matching networks were manual. The other was a 1000 W CVC 4-target sputtering unit. Two capacitors were variable.

Can this thing tune manually?

Since it got a clean bill of health, I'd look at cables, connectors and ground loops. I can't help much without a manual.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

I thought of another possibility. The inputs to the OP-amps used might be getting overloaded by the RF.

 

[Doug]

Yes it tunes manually .
I most likely be working with it again soon.

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Do you have a schematic?

 

[Doug]

This is from the other person that operates it and also repairs on it..
I'm able to tune some of the recipes manually. It struggles or won't tune at all, even in manual, on other recipes. We don't have a schematic
.....
This week I haven't had the time .I only work 2 days week.I need to verify all the dc voltages and check 4 any ripple.
I

The info we do have is just breakdown of parts and interconnect wiring.also the opeating manual.
Two large files.

 

[Doug]

I did ohm out the cables and we had,a spare cable.
Since there are other operators we don't know what happen

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

"not tuning" might actually be "no plasma", if someone else is reporting the problem. That can usually be remedied by increasing the pressure until you get ignition. That was common on a manual sputtering system. It didn't happen to often, but it did.
There was a plasma view port. This was manual tune only. It also did DC sputtering.

On an automated PCVD system I helped put together, there was a Plasma Bias output on the ENI RF power supply. I interfaced that using an Analog Devices isolation amplifier, so we could determine ignition and get the correct deposition times. I THINK it mattered where you set the initial conditions too. I didn't do the recipies, but I did do all of the electrical, RF and electronics.