New Evactron Papers

Contamination Specification for Dimensional Metrology SEMs, Abstract 6922-41, page 75
SPIE Contamination Specs .pdf SPIE Advanced Microlithograpy Feb 2008
András E. Vladár, K. P. Purushotham and Michael T. Postek
Electron beam-induced contamination is becoming one of the most bothersome problems of the scanning electron microscopes. Even in clean-vacuum instruments it is possible that the image gradually darkens because a polymerized hydrocarbon layer with low secondary electron yield is deposited. This contamination layer can get so thick that it changes the size and shape of the small structures of current and future state-of-the art ICs. This greatly disturbs the measurement process and the erroneous results can lead to wrong process control decisions. NIST has developed cleaning procedures and a viable contamination specification that offer an effective solution for this problem.

Using Thickness Monitor to Measure Contaminant Removal by Evactron Cleaning as a Function of Operating Parameters .pdf  M&M Meeting Aug 2007
Christopher G. Morgan, Mark M. Gleason and Ronald Vane
Quartz crystal thickness monitors (QCTMs) are a standard tool for vacuum deposition measurements. They can also be adapted to measure contamination removal by plasma cleaning. Here, they are used to record a thickness loss rate of an oil layer previously deposited on their surface; this loss rate is a measure of the cleaning effectiveness of the Evactron D-C.

Quantification of Contamination Using Quartz Crystal Thickness Monitors .pdf M&M Meeting Aug 2007
Christopher G. Morgan, Mark M. Gleason and Ronald Vane
At XEI Scientific, we are using a quantitative method; a quartz thin film thickness monitor (QCTM) is the best method for monitoring the efficiency of the Evactron^® process. Quartz crystal thin film thickness monitors are a standard technique for measuring the vacuum deposition of thin films and are available from many manufacturers

The Effect of Collimators on Evactron^® Cleaning of EDS Windows .pdf
M&M Meeting Aug 2007
Christopher G. Morgan, Mark M. Gleason and Ronald Vane
XEI Scientific, Inc. has developed a quantitative technique to determine the efficiency of the Evactron^® process under various conditions; using a collimator to measure the loss rate of an oil layer. To measure the loss rate the collimator is placed over a thickness meter prior to pump down. The rate of thickness loss with the collimator covering the monitor is compared to the loss rate when the monitor is completely exposed to the oxygen radicals produced by the Evactron® process.

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Effect of Evactron^® Cleaning on EBSD Detector Phosphor Screens .pdf
March 28, 2007  Mark Nave and Andrew Sullivan
Microanalysis Consulting Pty. Ltd., P.O. Box 9094, St Albans Park, Vic. 3219 Australia Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic. 3217 Australia

Effect of Cleaning Parameters on Cleaning Effectiveness in a SEM Equipped with an Oxygen Plasma Etching Device (abstract) .pdf  (poster) .pdf  M&M2007
R. Garcia, A.D. Batchelor, C.B. Mooney, A.D. Garetto, V.L. Carlino, R. Vane, and D.P. Griffis
Materials Science and Engineering Department and Analytical Instrumentation Facility, North Carolina State University, Box 7531, Raleigh, NC 27695-7531 XEI Scientific, 1735 East Bayshore Road., Suite 29A, Redwood City, CA 94063

Immobilization and Removal of Hydrocarbon Contamination Using the Evactron® De-Contaminator .pdf M&M2006 Ronald Vane
The Evactron® De-Contaminator is well known for its ability to reduce and remove Hydrocarbon contamination artifacts in Electron Microscopes. The primary mechanism for this control is the oxidation of HC deposits to form short chain volatile compounds and oxides that can be pumped out the vacuum pumps. Comparison of RGA results on the removal of volatile components and visual observance of the removal of Hydrocarbon films indicates that the immobilization of Hydrocarbons on surfaces by Polymerization is also an important mechanism for reducing contamination interference with imaging in electron microscopy

The Use of Oxygen in SEM Plasma Cleaning Equipment .pdf
M&M2007
Thomas O. Mueller, J. Cowan, and E. Swanson
ON Semiconductor, Gresham Failure Analysis Laboratory, 23400 NE Glisan St, Gresham, OR 97030

Evactron De-Contaminator Applications Note RGA Results of Chamber Cleaning .pdf M&M2007
Ronald Vane
Evactron cleaning is a new tool for removing hydrocarbon peaks from RGA spectra. The test set up.

Environmental Contamination Sources and Control in High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy .pdf  M&M2005  Ronald Vane and Vince Carlino
XEI Scientific Inc., 1735 E. Bayshore Rd. Suite 29A, Redwood City, CA 94063 Paper presented at Microscopy and Microsanalysis 2005 Honolulu, Hawaii, Aug. 1-4, 2005 Abstract 233

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A Study of the Effects of Evactron^® Plasma Cleaning on X-ray Windows .pdf
Complete paper! Long term cleaning of UTW does not cause window failure
Ronald Vane*, Christine Roberts**, and Vince Carlino*
*XEI Scientific, Inc. , 1755 E. Bayshore Rd., Suite 17, Redwood City, CA 94063
**Formerly with MOXTEK™, Inc. 452 W. 1260 North, Orem, UT 84057
Paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2004, Savannah, GA Aug. 1-5, 2004

Improved Carbon Analysis with Evactron Plasma Cleaning .pdf
Complete Paper! EDS analysis of Carbon
Pierre Rolland*, Vincent L. Carlino**, and Ronald Vane**
*Alprimage, 11 rue de Savoie, 91940 Les Ulis, France
**XEI Scientific, 1735 East Bayshore Rd., Suite 29A, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA
Paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2004, Savannah, GA Aug 1-5, 2004

A Study of the Effectiveness of the Removal of Hydrocarbon Contamination by Oxidative Cleaning Inside the SEM
Complete paper! CD SEM Data
Neal Sullivan, Tung Mai, Scott Bowdoin, and Ronald Vane  M&M 2002
Microscopy& Microscroanalysis Vol. 8, Supplement 2, 720CD
#Schlumberger Technologies, 45 Winthrop St., Concord, MA 01742

Active Monitoring and Control of Electron Beam Induced Contamination
András E. Vladár*, Michael T. Postek* and Ronald Vane   Complete paper!
*National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
Presented at SPIE Microlithography Conference Feb. 27-28, 2001
Proc. SPIE Vol. 4344 (2001), 835.

EVACTRON^® Cleaning of SEM Specimens Using an In-Situ RF Plasma on the SEM Chamber
By R. Vane, and G. Strossman**   Complete paper!
XPS Results Paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2001, Long Beach, CA August 2001
**Charles Evans and Associates, 810 Kifer Rd. Sunnyvale, CA 94086

XPS Evaluation of Sample Surface Cleaned by the XEI Evactron^®
Scott D. Walck***, Brian R. Strohmeier***, Edward G. Goralski***, and Ronald A. Vane
Abstract of paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2001, Long Beach, CA August 2001
***PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA 15238

US Patent 6,105,589: "Oxidative Cleaning Method and Apparatus for Electron Microscope Using an Air Plasma and an Oxygen radical Source "
Inventor Ronald A. Vane  Issued Aug 22, 2002

US Patent 6,452,315: " Compact RF Plasma Device For Cleaning Electron Microscopes and Vacuum Chambers"
Inventor Ronald A. Vane  Issued Sept. 17, 2002

Oxidative Cleaning in SEMS
By Ronald Vane, President XEI Scientific
Jan 15, 1999 revised 4/20/2003

Reducing Oil Backstreaming in Electron Microscopes
Currently under revision. Will be available soon.
by Ronald Vane  XEI Scientific May 25, 1990, revised May 2, 2002