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Denton Vacuum was recently assigned patent number 10,573,495 B2 by the U.S. Patent Office for the Endeavor circular ion source. The Endeavor is a filament-free, self-neutralizing ion source that uses a single extraction grid.
The Endeavor source is uniquely designed to improve thin film properties and create stress-free, high-density thin films for better performance. With a low ion energy mode available, it’s an excellent option for pre-clean and plasma treatments without causing plasma damage to more vulnerable substrates.
Some of the unique, patent-protected features of the Endeavor ion source are:
- Single grid, self-neutralizing design for easy maintenance and stable operation
- Independent control of ion current density and ion energy
- Integrated in-vacuum matching network that requires no custom feedthroughs and doesn’t restrict placement within the chamber
Benefits of Self-Neutralizing Ion Sources
Denton Vacuum’s team of engineers has worked tirelessly to produce a filament-free ion source that meets film property requirements, like high density and low stress, and other process needs, such as pre-clean capability. The patent-protected Endeavor source provides these unique advantages while reducing system downtime thanks to its self-neutralizer.
Some ion sources may use a filament as the neutralizing component, but doing so increases the chances of contamination during thin film deposition, potentially degrading thin film quality. A hollow cathode neutralizer can also be deployed, but that requires more time-consuming maintenance. The contamination-free, low-maintenance solution is a self-neutralizing, single gridded ion source, which is a main feature of the Endeavor.
You can learn more by downloading the infographic, 3 Major Benefits of Self-Neutralizing Ion Sources.
If you’re interested in learning more about configuring the Endeavor with your thin film deposition system, our engineers are happy to speak with you. Just contact us with your request to get started.