Parylene Coater Standard Operating Procedure

Updated on 3/13/2018

Sign in to the logbook.
Wear nitrile gloves.

1 Turn on the tool

2 Vent the chamber and prepare parylene deposition

3 Pump down the chamber

4 Deposition of parylene

5 Unload the sample

6 Clean the cold finger

7 Pump down and the chamber stand-by

8 Supplemental Documents

1. Turn on the tool

1. Make sure the furnace/chamber gauge and the vaporizer are DISABLED.

2. Deactivate the EMERGENCY STOP by turning clockwise

3. Press MAIN POWER button on the console.

2. Vent the chamber and prepare parylene deposition

1. Turn the vacuum switch from HOLD to VENT.

2. Upon venting, remove the chamber lid and place it on the 2~3 wipers on the bench.

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3. Make an Aluminum foil boat (see Parylene Coater Recipes) and put the proper amount of parylene dimer in it.

Note: Do not exceed 8 grams. Anything requiring more than 8 grams will call for additional depositions.

4. Insert the boat with parylene into the vaporization chamber in the cabinet of the tool. Only push the boat into the vaporization chamber as far as is necessary to close the door. This will keep the parylene as far away from the high-temperature furnace heating element as possible.

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5. Place your sample(s) on the platform.

3. Pump down the chamber

1. Make sure the o-ring on the chamber lid and its coupling surface is clean; use DI water (do not use IPA)!) and cleanroom wipers to clean if needed.

2. Place the chamber lid back on top of the chamber.

3. Make sure the o-ring on the cold trap is clean as well as the coupling surface on the cold finger; use DI water (do not use IPA)!) and cleanroom wipers to clean if needed.

4. Put the cold finger back into the cold trap.

5. Turn the vacuum switch clockwise to VACUUM.

Note: Hold the cold finger for 1~2 min until it is held in place by vacuum.

5. Wait until the vacuum indicator is below 15.

Note: This could take ~15 min and primarily depends on how clean the cold finger is.

6. Turn the chiller ON.

7. Wait until the vacuum indicator displays a negative value.

4. Deposition of parylene

1. Turn both the FURNACE and VAPORIZER switch to ENABLE.

2. Press the green PROCESS START/STOP switch to turn on the heaters.

3. Temperatures of Furnace, Chamber Gauge, and Vaporizer start to increase. Wait until the temperatures of Furnace and Chamber Gauge reach to the set point, 690 and 135 ºC, and the Vacuum to ~14.

4. Count the time (see Parylene Coater Recipes).

5. Press the green PROCESS START/STOP button again to turn off the heaters.

Note: After a few hours the green button will start blinking. If this does not occur, press the PROCESS START/STOP button. The light will go out.

6. Wait for ~3 hours until the furnace temperature reaches below 100 ºC.

7. Turn the FURNACE and VAPORIZER switches to DISABLE.

8. Turn OFF the chiller.

5. Unload the sample

1. Place the vacuum switch into the HOLD, count to ten, then turn the switch to VENT.

Note: DO NOT VENT UNLESS THE FURNACE IS BELOW 100 ºC.

2. Allow the cold finger to warm up for 15 minutes

Note: This is critical! Handling the cold finger earlier will break the flexible line. Allowing the cold finger to stay inside the tool longer than 15 minutes will contaminate the vacuum pump.

3. Remove the cold finger from the tool and place it in the outer holder and secure with clip.

Note: Handle the cold finger gently; excessive bending or twisting of the cold flexible line will cause it to break.

4. Cover the cold trap port with the metal blank.

5. Remove the chamber lid and place it on the wipers on the bench.

6. Remove your samples.

6. Clean the cold finger

1. After the frost has completely melted from the cold finger, wipe off the cold finger using 2% Microsoap solution and the dust-free wipers, to remove any residual polymer or debris from the cold finger.

Note: DO NOT USE TWEEZERS, RAZOR BLADE OR ANYTHING THAT CAN SRATCH THE COLD FINGER!

7. Pump down and the chamber stand-by

1. Place the chamber lid back on top of the chamber.

2. Turn the vacuum switch clockwise to VACUUM.

Note: Hold the cold finger for 1~2 min until it is held in place by vacuum.

3. Wait until the vacuum indicator is below 15 units.

4. Turn the vacuum switch to the HOLD position.

5. Depress the EMERGENCY STOP button.

6. Sign out of the logbook.

8. Supplemental Documents

Revisions

3/13/2018, by Jarrett, revised the unload process.

6/2/2016, by Hiro, added Material properties for Parylene N, C, and D