AX7710   NEXT GENERATION REMOTE PLASMA PLATFORM

The new ASTRON® Paragon® Reactive Gas Generator is the latest platform in the industry
leading family of ASTRON remote plasma sources. Building on the production proven
attributes of the existing ASTRON reactive gas generators, Paragon is designed with
improvements and enhancements to enable the next generation of process development.
The Paragon reactive gas generator is designed for NF flows up to 6 slm and pressures
up to 10 Torr while maintaining a high gas dissociation rate, allowing for added process
flexibility, decreased processing time as well as increased throughput. Based on the MKS
patented Low-Field-Toroidal plasma technology, the Paragon incorporates a new PEO
coating that offers superior performance and extended block life.

AX7710   

The primary application for the Paragon reactive gas generator is chamber cleaning via
the generation of atomic fluorine that reacts with and removes excess thin film deposits
in the chamber. The exhaust gases which are formed are readily scrubbed, minimizing
environmental impact. In addition, as a remote plasma source, the Paragon reduces wear
and tear on the process chamber compared to in situ RF methods.
The Paragon reactive gas generator is available in two models, the AX7700 with a standard
DB25 communication port and the new AX7710 with an EtherCAT communication port.
The EtherCAT protocol is optimized for process data and is transported directly within the
standard IEEE 802.3 Ethernet frame. The EtherCAT slave devices read the data addressed
to them while the telegram passes through the device. Similarly, input data are inserted while
the telegram passes through. The result is much faster response times in data transfer and
subsequently better device control overall.