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You do Diamond...
sp3 Diamond Technologies' proprietary Model 650 hot filament and DC torch CVD reactors provide the foundation for our market leadership. No other company brings to market both the tools for diamond deposition and the widest variety of CVD diamond products available. Understanding how to economically manufacture CVD diamond allows sp3 to work with customers to fully understand and exploit its potential.

With over 15 years of experience in diamond deposition, we have gone through the manufacturing and material preparation learning curve that has allowed us to optimize our technology. Based on that experience, we are able to offer the Model 650 Reactor as a performance-enhancing CVD diamond tool for a number of applications. sp3 has the experience to help you successfully add CVD diamond film manufacturing into your production flow.

Model 650
The Model 650 Hot Filament CVD Reactor offers the industry-leading solution for manufacturing nano or micro-crystalline diamond films. The Model 650 System's integrated process controller provides precise and repeatable diamond deposition in both R&D and production applications.

The Model 650 CVD Diamond Deposition System combines proven hot-filament reactor technology with advanced controls to produce superior polycrystalline diamond coatings. A multi-step (up to 58 discrete steps), recipe-driven controller ensures repeatable coatings with optimum characteristics in production, as well as a high degree of flexibility for developing coatings.

The proprietary (patented) filament assembly generates uniform energy distribution, operating at filament temperatures up to 2550°C and power levels up to 20W/cm². The deposition process is controlled by thermal management of both filament and substrate temperatures, in conjunction with closed-loop pressure and gas flow control.

The gas distribution assembly allows control of the gas flow patterns in and around both the filament assembly and the substrates to optimize deposition rates, as well as coating uniformity and quality. Adequate space is provided in the deposition chamber to avoid undesirable gas recombination at the chamber walls.

Changes in process step parameters and step times can be utilized to alter nucleation density, growth rate, grain size and other characteristics to produce coatings with markedly different morphology. Small-grain coatings can be produced for finish applications or wear surfaces. Large-grain, thick coatings can be produced for rough cutting or long-life tool applications. No hardware or software modifications are required to switch from one type of coating to another, merely the selection of a different recipe.

Each process can be tailored to provide the optimum coating for a given application, and this coating can be reproduced again and again. Precise computer control of the deposition process enables the Model 650 to be used very effectively in both R&D and production applications.

The Model 650 offers:

Excellent diamond thickness uniformity

• ±10% over a 300 mm wafer
• Accommodates demanding applications

High throughput

• Broad deposition area (350 mm x 375 mm)
• Large chamber size
• Deposition rate up to 1.1 microns/hour
• Fast turnaround

Wide range of 2D and 3D applications

• Flexible filament configuration
• Variable internal fixturing

Consistent performance

• Exceptional process repeatability

Precise process control

• Diamond coating morphology easily tuned for desired performance

Low cost operation

• Less than 0.4kwh power consumption per cubic mm of diamond deposited
• High uptime >95%
• MTBF greater than 500 hours

Precise control of the diamond film
Precise process controls can produce ultra-smooth, nano-crystalline diamond coatings or rougher micro-crystalline structures. Film thickness can be controlled from 1000 Angstroms to 50 microns. Grain size can be controlled from less than 10 nanometers to a size equal to film thickness. Other process capabilities include conformal coatings in two or three dimensions, and varying levels of adhesion and nucleation density. Graded layer deposition may also be performed by alternating grain sizes in a multi-layer stack. (Patent nos. 6,063,149, 6,319,610, 6,533,831).

The Model 650 is easy to use
A graphical user interface (GUI) enables the operator to quickly view the system process status. All process parameters-temperature, pressure and gas flow values-can be seen at a glance. Highlighted parameters, together with audible and visual indicators, quickly alert the operator to alarm or abort conditions, permitting prompt response. The touch-screen display provides easy access to menus and primary operational control functions. More involved engineering and maintenance functions are accessed via dedicated menus in a Windows format. A Control Screen enables manual control of process variables for authorized personnel.

Fast creation and editing of process recipes
A Recipe Manager facilitates creation of new process recipes and quick, easy editing of existing recipes. Recipes with up to 58 discrete process steps can be created. Parametric control of all process variables is achieved through assignment of applicable setpoints and digital inputs at each process step. Limits can be programmed to initiate alarm and abort commands on key process parameters. Recipes can be stored within production and engineering folders, with multi-level access control via a tiered security system. Remote recipe management is provided by a stand-alone application and remote computer/network connection via an Ethernet port.

Complete process run histories can be maintained
Run process data is recorded at user-programmable intervals to assist with process development, routine maintenance and troubleshooting tasks. This data is logged to yield a permanent record for future reference. All key process parameters, digital I/O states and events for the current recipe are easily viewed through the data display. A separate event log makes it convenient to view a summary of run step changes for an entire process run. In addition, a stand-alone data viewer affords review and export of process data history files.

Real-time control of process variables
The process control module permits real-time control of all key process variables. In addition to assuring run-to-run repeatability in a production mode, this facilitates process development and optimization of variables to achieve performance objectives. Programmable alarm and abort levels can be set to prevent deviation outside of set limits, and thereby prevent material scrap. Hardware safety features and interlocks protect the equipment and operating personnel.

Options for sp3 Model 650 Diamond Coating System include:

• Planar array package - for flat substrates, which require a coating on one planar surface.
• Silicon wafer package - for coating wafers; specify 100 mm, 150 mm, 200 mm or 300 mm.
• Substrate cooling package - for controlling backside wafer temperature.
• Three-dimensional array package - for applications and substrates that require coating in more than one plane.
• Flat cutting tool package - for use on all tungsten carbide inserts, grooving tools, engravers, etc.
• Round cutting tool package - for coating drills, endmills, countersinks, routers and other rotating tungsten carbide tools.

Click here for sp3's paper on sp3's experience using Hot Filament CVD Reactors to grow diamond for an expanding set of applications.

Click here for sp3's Commercial Hot Wire Chemical Vapor Deposition presentation.

You do Diamond...
There are more than 15 sp3 CVD thin-film diamond deposition tools in the field today, with an increasing interest in the tool, the technology and the material. The Model 650 provides you with the premier thin-film, wide-area diamond deposition technology on the market, and is available through our worldwide distributor, Seki Technotron. For more information on how you can start to make diamond thin-film for your own application, please contact Seki directly at:

Seki Technotron USA
2220 Martin Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Tel: +1-888-273-6225
Tel: +1-408-986-9190
Fax: +1-408-986-9191
Email: sales@sekicvdsolutions.com
Or visit www.sekicvdsolutions.com

Seki Technotron Corp.
5-6-30 Kiba, Koto-ku
Tokyo 135-0042, Japan
Tel: 81-3-3820-1711
Fax: 81-3-3820-1735
Or visit www.sekitech.biz