The CNF aims to enable all research areas possible without compromising the fabrication capabilities of the existing tool set and processes. Maintaining the process capability of the CNF tool set while serving a wide range of research goals requires a system in place to prevent the possibility of chamber/tool contamination and process degradation that may come with incompatible materials.
Tool Categories are divided into 6 groups, Category 1, 1E, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with Category 1 being the most restrictive in allowed materials and Category 5 having the least amount of restrictions. Substrates and samples are required to be assessed by the researchers and CNF staff prior to utilizing the tool.
Please contact the CNF User Program staff to evaluate new projects and process flows and to highlight possible conflicts with materials and tool usages.
1 - Restricted Silicon Based Materials Only
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
|
Silicon Based Materials only (Si, SiC, SiO2 substrates) |
No Evaporated, Sputtered, or Spin on Films |
| All Furnace grown or deposited films | No ALD films |
| PECVD Films | No Metal or Organic Films |
| No Glass Substrates | |
| No III/V Compound Semiconductors | |
| No Deep Silicon Etched Samples (versaline, Unaxis) | |
| No Organic/Biology Molecules prepared-with or without Salt buffers |
1E - Silicon Based Materials and Select Dieletrics
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Silicon Based Materials only | No Evaporated or Sputtered Films |
| Si, SiC, SiO2 substrates | No Metal or Organic Films |
| All Furnace grown or deposited films | No Glass Substrates |
| PECVD Films | No III/V Compound Semiconductors |
| Select ALD dieletrics (SiO2, SiN, HfO2, HFN) | No High Vapor pressure materials |
| Spin on Glass and Spin on Dopants | Organic/Biology Molecules prepared-with or without Salt buffers |
High Vapor Pressure Metals and Compounds are materials that have a vapor pressure above 1e-6 Torr at 400 C.
2 - Silicon Based Substrates and Select Refractory Metals
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Tool category 1/1E materials | No Glass Substrates |
| Silicon Based Materials only |
No CNF Class A or Class B metals and oxides/compounds of (exposed or buried) (ie Magnesium, Zinc, Barium, Calcium) |
| Si, SiC, SiO2 substrates | |
| All Furnace grown or deposited films | |
| PECVD Films | No Gold, Silver or Copper (Exposed or buried) |
| ALD dieletric films |
No High Vapor pressure materials |
| CNF Refractory Metals (ie Al, Ti,Ta,W,Pt,Mo,Cr,Ni) | No III/V Compound Semiconductors |
| Nitrides and Oxides of above metals | No Organic/Biology Molecules prepared-with or without Salt buffers |
| Cured organics and baked Photoresist |
High Vapor Pressure Metals and Compounds are materials that have a vapor pressure above 1e-6 Torr at 400 C.
3 - Silicon, III-V Compound Semiconductor, Glass and Metal Category
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Tool category 1/1E and 2 materials | Glass Substrates |
| III/V compound Semiconductors allowed | No CNF Class A or Class B metals-and oxides/compounds of i.e. (Magnesium,Zinc, Barium, Calcium) |
| PECVD and ALD Films | No High Vapor pressure materials |
| Cured organics and baked Photoresist | |
| Organic/Bio Materials prepped w/o Salt Buffers |
High Vapor Pressure Metals and Compounds are materials that have a vapor pressure above 1e-6 Torr at 400 C.
4 - Glass and Metal Categories
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Tool category 1/1E, 2, and 3 materials | |
|
Silicon Based Substrates and Films |
No CNF Class A metals |
| III/V compound Semiconductors | No Exposed CNF Group B metals- metals can be buried/covered with staff approval |
| Glass Substrates | Cannot be used as an etch stop |
| PECVD and ALD Films | |
| Buried Class B Metals with approval | |
| Organic/Bio Materials prepped w/o Salt Buffers | |
| Cured organics and baked Photoresist | No High Vapor pressure materials |
High Vapor Pressure Metals and Compounds are materials that have a vapor pressure above 1e-6 Torr at 400 C.
5 - Class A and B Metals and Compounds
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| Tool category 1/1E, 2, 3, and 4 materials | |
| Silicon Based Substrates and Films | |
| III/V compound Semiconductors | |
| Glass Substrates | |
| PECVD and ALD Films | |
| Cured organics and baked Photoresist | |
| CNF Class A, B, and Refractory metals | |
| Exposed Gold, Silver, Copper | |
| Alkali and Alkaline Compounds | |
| Organic/Biology Molecules prepared-w/salt buffers | |
| High Vapor Pressure Materials (Mg, Ca, Zn)* | * Some tool restrictions on high vapor pressure materials may apply |
| Soft organic materials |