Picosun's P-1000 Large Scale Batch ALD Reactor Expands the Limits of ALD Manufacturing

ESPOO, Finland, July 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Picosun Oy, a leading Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) equipment manufacturer, presents PICOSUN™ P-1000 ultra-large scale batch ALD tool - the latest addition to the fully automated, high throughput PICOSUN™ P-series ALD reactors. The P-series ALD tools provide production-proven and cost-efficient ALD solutions to industrial manufacturers. The P-1000 system shares the same core construction as the smaller PICOSUN™ tools, reflecting the company's world-leading technical experience in ALD reactor design and manufacturing and continuing the unique scalability built into all PICOSUN™ ALD equipment.

Already the first process results with the P-1000 ALD system have been excellent. When using an aluminium oxide process on 400 mm x 600 mm glass sheets in a batch of 30 pieces, a film thickness non-uniformity of only 1.55 % (1σ) was achieved, while maintaining a temperature distribution non-uniformity of only ± 2^o C inside the reaction chamber.

The PICOSUN™ P-1000 batch ALD reactor's deposition chamber is made according to the customer's specified substrate size. As square, the maximum cross section of the chamber is 470 mm x 470 mm, and as circular, the maximum diameter is 600 mm. The maximum height of the chamber is 700 mm. The square chamber is optimal for coating batches of 450 mm diameter silicon wafers - the next step in the evolution of the modern semiconductor manufacturing technology - or batches of large glass or metal sheets. Also smaller silicon wafers or 156 mm x 156 mm square solar wafers can be processed with their own, specifically designed sample holders. Alternatively, when equipped with the cylindrical reaction chamber the configuration is ideal for processing large batches of 3D objects. The P-1000 system comes with a separate electronics and precursor source cabinet designed for fast and easy maintenance, while keeping the tool frame and footprint plain and compact to save expensive facility space. Eight separate precursor manifolds and software capable of controlling 12 individual precursor sources ensure the highest level of flexibility in process development and ALD material selection.

Mr. Timo Malinen, Chief Operating Officer of Picosun, summarizes as follows: "Launching the P-1000 ultra-large batch ALD tool marks an important milestone in establishing Picosun as the leading industrial supplier of large-scale ALD solutions. While the ALD technology makes breakthroughs in more and more new industries, the demands for processing equipment capacity and flexibility regarding sample size, shape, and process throughput expand accordingly. With the P-1000 system, Picosun can rapidly answer these new challenges and enhance our position as the world's most experienced ALD technology provider. This experience again manifests itself in the state-of-the-art technical design and excellent process results of the P-1000 tool."

Picosun Oy is a Finland-based, globally operating manufacturer of state-of-the-art ALD systems, representing a continuity across almost four decades of pioneering ALD reactor design and manufacturing. Today, PICOSUN™ ALD systems are in daily production use in numerous prominent industries around the globe.

Contact Details: Juhana Kostamo, Managing Director (email  juhana.kostamo@picosun.com; tel. +358-50-321-1955)