Bosch VS 18C Vertical Sputtering System CTI Cryotorr 8 Astex ECR Leybold MKS

Bosch VS 18C Vertical Sputtering System CTI Cryotorr 8 Astex ECR Leybold MKS

The Bosch VS 18C is a vertical ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) sputtering system built by Bosch Engineering of Santa Barbara, California. The system uses an Astex Compact ECR microwave plasma source to generate the sputtering plasma within a smaller upper chamber; a gate valve separates this from the main 18.5-inch deposition chamber below, where the substrate is coated. A beam shutter controls deposition timing, and a second gate valve isolates the CTI Cryotorr 8 cryopump section to maintain vacuum integrity between process cycles. The system is mounted on a rolling cart with an integrated control rack.

Specifications & What's Included

• Manufacturer: Bosch Engineering, Santa Barbara, California
• Model: VS 18C (Vertical Sputtering, 18-inch Chamber)
• Main Chamber: 18.5 in. diameter × 11 in. high, stainless steel
• Chamber lid: motor-driven lift
• HV sputtering cathode in lower chamber
• Dual gate valve configuration for staged vacuum isolation
• Vacuum Pump Components:
• CTI Cryotorr 8 cryogenic high-vacuum pump
• CTI 8300 cryogenic compressor
• CTI 8001 cryogenic compressor controller
• CTI absorber
• Leybold Trivac D30A dual-stage rotary vane mechanical roughing pump
• Microwave / ECR Components:
• Astex S-250 microwave power generator
• Astex Compact ECR plasma source — mounted at top of chamber
• Astex EMS 40-25-1-D-10T ECR power supply — 40V, 25A
• Gauges & Controllers:
• MKS 252A MSO-4 flow controller
• MKS 270A display pressure/flow monitor
• Inficon XTC thin film deposition monitor with oscillator
• Varian 880 RS vacuum ionization gauge
• Not Included: RF Power Supply for Electron Gun; some miscellaneous interconnect cabling absent
• No manual or peripherals included

Applications

ECR sputtering systems like the Bosch VS 18C are used in research and development environments for physical vapor deposition (PVD) of thin films onto semiconductor wafers, optical substrates, and other precision components. ECR plasma sources operate at microwave frequencies (typically 2.45 GHz) and use a magnetic field to achieve electron cyclotron resonance, producing a high-density, low-pressure plasma that allows sputtering at lower chamber pressures than conventional RF or DC magnetron systems. This makes ECR sputtering particularly well suited for depositing high-quality dielectric, metallic, and compound thin films for applications in semiconductor device fabrication, optical coatings, MEMS research, and advanced materials science. The VS 18C's cryopump-based vacuum system allows the chamber to reach the high-vacuum base pressures required for clean, contamination-free deposition. Systems of this type were widely used in university and corporate R&D labs from the late 1980s through the 2000s for low-volume, high-precision thin film work where process flexibility was more important than production throughput.