Hummer 6.2 Sputter Coater with 2 stage pump

The Ladd / Hummer™ 6.2 performs sputter coating, a cold process in which ions impacting a metal source dislodge metal atoms. The atoms disperse throughout the process chamber to uniformly coat irregularly shaped specimens without thermal damage. Sputter coating produces high quality coatings whose thickness is repeatable and easily controlled. Cold, fast sputter rates require less time, giving you more time for microscope examinations.

Built-in Flexibility: Etch mode allows the Hummer to gently clean specimens, removing non-bonded surface material to provide a clean surface for better sputtered atom adhesion. Debris etched from the sample is attracted to the dark space shield around the sample stage, away from the sample and precious metal source. Plasma mode is used to outgas and clean materials. In this mode, alternating current excites gas molecules to remove small amounts of organic or volatile contaminants from sample surfaces, and to cross-link organic specimens. Pulse deposition mode switches high voltage on and off every five seconds. This allows re-nucleation of deposited material, and heat rise is kept under 2 degrees C at the sample.

Standard Features:

• Grain size of less than 2 nanometers for SEM preparation.
• Magnetically enhanced sputter head minimizes sample heating.
• Automatic slow venting at termination of process.
• Sample stage accommodates up to 3" diameter substrates or 12 SEM stubs.
• Stage adjusts 2" vertically. Self-contained two stage direct drive rotary pump assures rapid pump down.
• Requires less lab space than systems with remote pumps. Easy access to pump oil fill and drain ports simplify maintenance.
• Chamber dimensions - 4" diameter x 6" high Vacuum to 30 millitorr.
• Three modes - Plate mode, Etch mode (Al etch ring included) and Plasma Mode.
• Target must be ordered separately.

Plating With a Hummer. Depending on the metal source installed, Hummers can deposit thin films of gold, gold/palladium, silver, platinum and other metals. To use a different metal source, simply pull out one and push in another. The Hummer top plate lifts off for easy sample loading and retrieval. The stage accepts all kinds of SEM stubs. A magnet inside the metal source ring and a dark space shield eliminate heating by deflecting electrons away from the specimen. The cool, omnidirectional shower of secondary ions and neutrals produces finer grain deposits than thermal coating processes. When processing is finished, a solenoid controlled vent valve slowly brings the process chamber to atmospheric pressure, preventing turbulence. This also assures that oil cannot migrate from pump to process chamber, as can happen with manually vented systems.

Rugged, Reliable Design. Hummer systems are built to deliver many years of faithful service. Each Hummer is totally enclosed in a single cabinet, so it occupies less space and produces less noise than systems with remote pumps. Vacuum pump is near the process chamber, for fast pump down. Vacuum connections are made and checked for leakage during manufacture, assuring vacuum integrity and allowing you to start working sooner because little assembly is required. Safety interlocks protect both operator and equipment. A full line of spare parts is available for product maintenance.

Options:

• Wide selection of targets made from precious metals.
• Carbon evaporation accessory for producing conductive coatings on samples for x-ray studies.
• Turbo-molecular pumping and sputter guns for chrome plating. 
• RF option for sputtering insulators. This option will sputter nearly anything that can be formed into a target, including plastics, ceramics, glass and chromium. (Only available on Hummer 8)

Specifications:

• Power Consumption - 115 VAC, 60 Hz, 6 Amps or 220-225 VAC, 50 Hz, 3 Amps
• Power Output - 0-300 Volts, 0-30 milliamps
• Dimensions - 22" long x 20" wide x 22" high
• Shipping Weight - ~110 lbs.
• 6" x 8.375" chamber model comes with a tilting rotary stage. There is no etch or plasma modes with the 6" x 8.375" chamber model.

The Carbon Evaporation Accessory and the Digital Thickness Monitors must be ordered at the same time as the sputter coater and are only available for newly purchased sputter coaters.

Carbon Evaporation Accessory:

• Operation:  The CEA deposits thin films of carbon quickly and conveniently. Carbon is the preferred material for the conductive coating of EM specimens for energy dispersive X-ray analysis, since the carbon coating does not interfere with the analysis.
• All of the carbon rods are pre-sharpened allowing repeat settings for consistent coatings run to run. The carbon coating system evaporates a point source of carbon centered between two electrodes with up to 100 amps of electrical current. Safety interlocks ensure operator and machine safety. Samples up to 3.25" diameter or 12 microscope stubs can be coated in a single operation.
• Carbon, the material of choice:  Since carbon coating does not interfere with analysis, it is the preferred material for the conductive coating of EM specimens for energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Although carbon is not suitable for low energy sputtering, the CEA allows you to coat your specimens using the vacuum system and chamber of your of your Hummer sputter coater.
• Fast and easy to use:  The carbon coating accessory evaporates a point source of carbon centered between two electrodes with up to 100 amps of electrical current. Using the Hummer sputter coater for this process is faster and less expensive than conventional vacuum evaporators. An interchangeable top plate contains the electrodes for the carbon rods. The 10 Volt 100 Amp power supply requires no electrical connection to the Hummer.
• Specifications:
• Input Power - 115 VAC, 50-60 Hz, 6 amps
• Power Supply - 10 Volts, 0-100 amps
• Dimensions - 13" L x 13" W x 12.5" H
• Weight - 45 lbs.

Digital Thickness Monitor:

• This thickness monitor employs a unique sensing quartz crystal that oscillates at a very stable frequency. When the sensing element is placed in the chamber of the Hummer sputter coater, that stable frequency changes linearly with coating thickness and converts frequency shift to thickness. This value is displayed in nanometers with a digital readout.
• The thickness monitor is simple to use. The material selector switch can be set for gold, gold/palladium, silver or platinum. This provides a direct continuous thickness reading in nanometers while sputter coating SEM/TEM specimens. Simply place the crystal in the chamber of a Hummer sputter coater, reset the measurement electronics to zero, and monitor thickness as the sputtering takes place. The digital readout indicates the total thickness as the coating occurs. The sensor provided is connected to the control unit with a 4 foot cable. The plug/socket crystals are easily changed and have a 10 micron lifespan.