2022 SNSF NPC New Equipment

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Current Timeline (Subject to Change)

Updated: 5-28-2023

Project Summary

We are preparing to upgrade our Nanopatterning Cleanroom with modern tools. The university has agreed to acquire two new 100 kV Raith EBPG5200-Plus e-beam lithography system to be installed in February of 2023 and June 2023. In particular, the JEOL ebeam lithography system will be shut down Tuesday, September 27, 2022, and removed to make room for two new Raith EBPG 5200+ systems, each with better performance and throughput than the JEOL, plus together providing redundancy for when one of them goes down. As you have previously been informed, this will unfortunately require substantial temporary disruption of ebeam lithography at SNSF. The Voyager will stay operational until both new systems are qualified. We will lose 100 kV EBL capabilities for approximately 6 months from October 2022 through March 2023 for JEOL removal, construction, and tool qualifications. Meanwhile, SNSF staff will support users using SLAC’s 100 kV EBPG5200 during the transition.

Furthermore, we have acquired a new Kurt J. Lesker e-beam evaporator to expand our physical vapor deposition capabilities and availability. This will not only double tool availability and provide redundancy for when one of them goes down, but also add new capabilities such as sample rotation, dynamic oxidation, and faster throughput. To renovate the cleanroom space, this will require blocking off our current KJL e-beam evaporator, the Oxford RIE, and the Samco UV-Ozone cleaner for approximately 2 months from mid December 2022 through early February 2023. Meanwhile, alternative options in the Flexible Cleanroom and at Stanford Nanofabrication Facility (SNF) have been identified for you in the FAQ below.

Our Initial Email

To Nanopatterning Cleanroom Users,

In the past two years, SNSF staff has surveyed faculty and users for improvements to the Nanopatterning Cleanroom. We are excited to add at least 2 new instruments. Please keep this in mind for your research plans.

Electron Beam Lithography

The university has agreed to acquire a new 100 kV Raith EBPG5200-Plus e-beam lithography system to be installed in the 2Q of 2022. The exact date is still to-be-determined. A proposal for a second 100 kV Raith EBPG5200-Plus is underway that would increase capacity and compatibility.

Pending approval for a second 100 kV system, the JEOL and the Voyager will be decommissioned. The Voyager will stay operational until both new systems are qualified. We will lose 100 kV EBL capabilities for approximately 4 months for JEOL removal, construction, and tool qualifications. Meanwhile, SNSF staff will support users using SLAC’s 100 kV EBPG5200 during the transition.

E-beam Evaporator

Additionally, the university has agreed to acquire a second evaporator to support the existing heavily-used KJL evaporator and add redundancy. The existing KJL will remain in place and a second dual-chamber KJL system will be installed where the Keyence laser microscope is presently located. This new KJL system will have such capabilities as stage tilt and planetary rotation, dynamic oxidation, an ion source, and more.

Renovations will likely take place sometime 1Q or 2Q of 2022. It is unclear at the moment whether the renovations will take place at the same time as the renovations for the EBPG(s). We are currently exploring two different options: one would entail blocking off the cleanroom where the Keyence laser microscope currently is and knocking down the wall into the hallway for contractors to work in, which would mean all tools would remain operational during renovations. The other would entail blocking off the cleanroom up to the two emergency doors so contractors can enter from those doors. That would mean the Oxford RIE, KJL evaporator, and Samco Ozone Cleaner would be blocked off and inaccessible during the renovations. We are looking at the cost differences of the two and how that weighs versus the projected usage interruptions.

Please note, everything is still in the planning stages and requires flexibility. If you have questions or concerns, the staff will do our best to answer them.

FAQs

Updated: 5-1-2023

Electron Beam Lithography

Question: What is the estimated timeline for the JEOL 6300FS to be decommissioned?
Answer: The JEOL 6300FS was decommissioned in anticipation of Santa Clara County building permit approval and the first Raith EBPG delivery date confirmation. The JEOL's last day of operation was Monday, September 26th, with tool shutdown and removal beginning on Tuesday, September 27th. The JEOL was completely removed by September 30th.

Question: When will renovation work to the cleanroom take place, and what disruptions to cleanroom operations will there be?
Answer: The renovation work for the EBPGs and the evaporator will coincide to minimize the duration of disruptions to operations. For the EBPGs, the contractors entered entering from Spilker 008G (service chase) into the JEOL room, with the doors into the JEOL room from the cleanroom blocked off. For the evaporator, the white-light area of the cleanroom was blocked off up to the two emergency exit doors. The Oxford RIE, Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner, and the KJL Evaporator were unavailable while the renovation was ongoing. Any noise disruptions and power, water, and other utility interruptions to the rest of the cleanroom and other neighboring rooms during the renovation work were communicated ahead of time.
The county building permit was received on December 14th. The renovation started on December 19th, working through Winter Closure and was completed on March 30th, 2023, taking 15 weeks in total to finish. Weekly email updates on the status of the renovation were sent out to the Nanopatterning Cleanroom users. There are a few small outstanding items that will be completed throughout the tool installation process.

Question: When are the Raith EBPGs scheduled to be delivered?
Answer: The first Raith EBPG was delivered on April 3rd, 2023 and is expected to be available to users late June 2023. The second EBPG is planned to be delivered in May 2023 and available to users late July 2023.

Question: What will happen to the Raith Voyager and when?
Answer: The Voyager will be available until the second EBPG 5200+ is fully functional. Current estimates for the second EBPG 5200+ are delivery by May 2023 and fully functional by July 2023. The Voyager can be estimated to be removed by the end of July 2023.

Question: What should JEOL users do during the transition?
Answer: Users are encouraged to get trained on the Raith Voyager 50 kV EBL tool and transfer the processes.

E-Beam Evaporator

Question: When is the new KJL Evaporator scheduled to be delivered?
Answer: The new KJL Evaporator is scheduled to be delivered at the end of May 2023 and available to users by July 2023.

FAQ Archive

Electron Beam Lithography

Timeline

Question: What is the estimated timeline for the JEOL 6300FS to be decommissioned?
Answer: The JEOL 6300FS will be decommissioned once Santa Clara County building permits have been approved and the first Raith EBPG delivery date of July 2022 is confirmed. The estimated date is as early as May 2022.
Update (5-17-2022): The estimated JEOL 6300FS decommission date has been pushed back to mid-to-late October 2022. The first Raith EBPG delivery date has been pushed back to late December or early January. These later dates give us greater certainty that everything will be ready by then, as the original May-July dates were not going to work due to Santa Clara County permit approval delays and supply chain delays for the manufacturing of the EBPG.
Update (7-7-2022): The JEOL decommission date has been pushed forward to mid September 2022. We have been advised that the renovation work will take closer to three months, instead of the originally anticipated two months. To maintain the original EBPG and evaporator delivery and installation of early January, we will be pushing the renovation work to start at the beginning of October, and therefore the JEOL decommission to mid September. We are working to establish precise dates for the JEOL decommission and renovation start, and will provide an update once we have those in place.
Update (8-18-2022): The JEOL's last day of operation is currently looking to be Monday, September 26th, with tool shutdown and removal beginning on Tuesday, September 27th. Final details are being organized.
Update (10-11-2022): The JEOL was decommissioned and removed the week of September 26th, with complete removal by September 30th.

Question: When will renovation work to the cleanroom take place, and what disruptions to cleanroom operations will there be?
Answer (5-17-2022): The renovation work to the cleanroom is planned to take place in November and December 2022. The renovation is expected to take about 9 weeks in total. The renovation work for the EBPGs and the evaporator will coincide to minimize the duration of disruptions to operations. For the EBPGs, the contractors will be entering from Spilker 008G (service chase) into the JEOL room, with the doors into the JEOL room from the cleanroom blocked off. For the evaporator, the white-light area of the cleanroom will be blocked off up to the two emergency exit doors. The Oxford RIE, Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner, and the KJL Evaporator will be unavailable while the renovation is ongoing. There may be noise disruptions and power, water, and other utility interruptions to the rest of the cleanroom and other neighboring rooms during the renovation work, but any shutdowns and interruptions will be communicated ahead of time.
Update (7-7-2022): The JEOL decommission date has been pushed forward to mid September 2022. We have been advised that the renovation work will take closer to three months, instead of the originally anticipated two months. To maintain the original EBPG and evaporator delivery and installation of early January, we will be pushing the renovation work to start at the beginning of October, and therefore the JEOL decommission to mid September. We are working to establish precise dates for the JEOL decommission and renovation start, and will provide an update once we have those in place.
Update (8-10-2022): Our current expectations are to being renovation work on Monday, October 3rd. The JEOL will have been removed by that time, and the Oxford RIE, Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner, and the KJL Evaporator will be unavailable starting the morning of Monday, October 3rd.
Update (10-11-2022): Weekly updates regarding the renovation work are sent out to nano-snpcleanroom@lists.stanford.edu. Please make sure you are on the mailing list to receive these updates. As of October 11th, the county building permit has not been received. We are expected to receive it within a couple weeks, after which a kick-off meeting with the contractors will be held to plan out the entirety of the renovation.
Update (12-20-2022): The county building permit was received on December 14th. The renovation is scheduled to be from December 19th, working through Winter Closure and continuing through January, to February 3rd. We will attempt to keep to this schedule, barring any further unexpected delays.
Update (5-1-2023): The renovation was completed on March 30th, 2023. There are a few small outstanding items that will be completed throughout the tool installation process.

Question: When are the Raith EBPGs scheduled to be delivered?
Answer: The first Raith EBPG is estimated to arrive in July 2022 and commissioned in August 2022. The second Raith EBPG is estimated to arrive in April 2023.
Update (5-17-2022): The first Raith EBPG delivery date has been pushed back to late December 2022, possibly January 2023. This should be right around the time of Winter Closure.
Update (8-18-2022): The first Raith EBPG will be delivered January 2023 and available to users March 2023. The second EBPG is planned to be delivered in May 2023 and available to users July 2023.
Update (12-20-2022): The first Raith EBPG will be delivered February 2023 and available to users April 2023. The second EBPG is planned to be delivered in May 2023 and available to users July 2023.
Update (5-1-2023): The first Raith EBPG was delivered on April 3rd, 2023 and is expected to be available to users late June 2023. The second EBPG is planned to be delivered in May 2023 and available to users late July 2023.

Question: What will happen to the Raith Voyager and when?
Answer: The Voyager will be available until the second EBPG 5200+ is fully functional. Current estimates for the second EBPG 5200+ are delivery by May 2023 and fully functional by July 2023. The Voyager can be estimated to be removed by the end of July 2023.

EBL During Transition

Question: What should JEOL users do during the transition?
Answer: Users are encouraged to get trained on the Raith Voyager 50 kV EBL tool and transfer the processes.

Questions: How can 100 kV users process their samples after the JEOL 6300FS is decommissioned and before the new Raith EBPG is commissioned?
Answer: During the 4-month shutdown, SNSF EBL Staff will have access to SLAC’s 100 kV EBL tool, a Raith EBPG 5200. SNSF EBL staff members will provide 100 kV users with a service. Although details are still to be determined, the plan is for users to provide coated samples, SNSF EBL Staff expose at SLAC, return samples to users to continue processing at SNSF. Users will work with SNSF EBL Staff on preparing the patterns and exposure files.
Update (8-18-2022): SNSF will lose 100 kV capability from approximately October 2022 to February 2023. During this transition, SNSF EBL Staff will provide an EBL exposure service by using SLAC's Raith 100 kV EBPG 5200. Details are still being discussed with SLAC and are not set yet. The proposed process is described as:

1. User submits SLAC Work Request Form.
2. User and staff schedules appointment to discuss project, prepare pattern and job files.
3. User provides coated sample.
4. SNSF staff exposes sample at SLAC and returns sample to user.
5. User develops exposed sample at SNSF (or other applicable facility).

Question: What is the expected tool time available for SNSF and sample output users should plan for?
Answer: SLAC is planning to provide SNSF tool time of approximately two full workdays a week. A realistic expectation is for us to help researchers move forward, but not resume at a normal pace. SNSF EBL staff will work with users to optimize data preparation, exposure conditions and job files for efficiency.

Question: Can SNSF users get access to SLAC’s EBL tool?
Answer: No, SLAC does not have the capacity to add more users as they have their own projects to complete.

Question: How can I submit a work order for my exposure?
Answer: Users can submit a work order with all the experimental information using a link on the NPC webpage. SLAC Work Request Form

Question: How will users be charged for using this service?
Answer: Users will be charged for staff time and tool time based on SNSF 100 kV EBL tool rates. See our Rates page for more information.
Update (8-18-2022): SNSF is exploring arrangements to have writes performed for users on SLAC's Raith EBPG 5200. Users will not perform those writes themselves, and will be charged for tool time + staff time at SNSF Rates for 100kV EBL. Please keep in mind when budgeting for this service, we estimate that costs could approximately double as users will be charged for tool + staff time. Transitioning from the JEOL 100 kV tool to SLAC’s Raith EBPG 100 kV tool is also not a one-to-one transfer. Though SLAC's Raith EBPG's capabilities should be largely equal or better than those of our older JEOL, please do not expect writes to transfer seamlessly from one to the other, except for the simplest one level patterns and substrates. Consider budgeting time and financial cost for process development if you choose this path.

Question: What are other options for EBL Research?
Answer: Submit a proposal for Molecular Foundry by Sept 29, 2022. This program is separate from Stanford, but Stanford University has an existing contract with Molecular Foundry simplifying the application process. If the application is accepted, research can begin as early as November 15, 2022. More information at https://foundry.lbl.gov/user-program/.

E-Beam Evaporator

Question: Will the renovations be blocking off parts of the cleanroom and result in any tools being inaccessible?
Answer: Yes. The renovation for the evaporator has been confirmed to entail blocking off the cleanroom up to the two emergency exit doors. The Oxford RIE, Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner, and the KJL Evaporator will be blocked off (isolated from the rest of the cleanroom) while the renovation is ongoing. Once the renovation work is done, these tools will be available again. Some alternative options while these tools are unavailable:

Question: When will the renovation for the evaporator take place (and the three tools above be unavailable)?
Answer: The renovation work for the evaporator will coincide with the renovation work for the EBPGs to minimize the duration of disruptions to operations. See the Electron Beam Lithography Timeline section above for specific dates.
Update (5-1-2023): The renovation work was completed on March 30th, 2023. All three tools above are available again.

Question: There is no other alternative for the Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner with its specific features and capabilities. Can we use the Samco even while the renovation is happening?
Answer: Due to overwhelming requests, the Samco UV-Ozone Cleaner will remain available while renovation work is ongoing, with some caveats. If you require the Samco during the renovation period, please email shaog@stanford.edu indicating so, if you haven’t already, so we have a working database of users who need it during this time. We have been allowed to enter from the contractor entrance to utilize the tool. We will impose certain time restrictions (TBD) so that we don’t interrupt or interfere with the renovation work, but it will be available. This is why we need the working database of Samco users. Note that we will not be able to maintain the standard Class 100-1000 cleanroom environment during this time, but we can accommodate timing such that any dust and particles from the renovation work largely settles prior to your use. If you have concerns regarding cleanliness, please reach out to staff to discuss your subsequent processing and how to accommodate temporary loss of cleanroom environment.

Question: If the Samco can be used through the contractor entrance during renovation work, can the KJL Evaporator and Oxford RIE also remain available for use?
Answer: No. As the KJL Evaporator and Oxford RIE involve high vacuum, process gases, high purity materials, and many utility connections that will be removed throughout the duration of the renovation work, it will not be possible to accommodate the continued use of these two tools. The alternative tool options listed above have immediately comparable options with nearly equivalent capabilities.

Question: When is the new KJL Evaporator scheduled to be delivered?
Answer: The new KJL Evaporator is scheduled to be delivered in February 2023 and available to users by April 2023.
Update (5-1-2023): The new KJL Evaporator is scheduled to be delivered at the end of May 2023 and available to users by July 2023.