How to Operate a PWM32 Spin Coater

By: Shawn Waggoner

Audience/Description
his instruction set is !eant "or anyone intending on using a PWM32 Spin Coater oo#$ the set
descri%es how to operate the spin coater ter!ina#& and
prepare the sa!p#e cha!%er' his too# contains a
su%strate cha!%er (shown in )igure *+& a waste
container "or e,cess #i-uids& and a digita# inter"ace'
he spin coater is designed to uni"or!#y co.er a
su%strate with a thin #ayer o" a #i-uid !ateria# through
rapid#y spinning the su%strate' A .acuu! sea# on the
su%strate ho#der pre.ents the su%strate "ro! detaching'
here are !u#tip#e .ersions o" this spin coater& %ut
each operates in the sa!e !anner& the on#y di""erence
%etween each is the si/e su%strate that can %e spun'
0n addition to the de.ices inc#uded with the PWM32
Spin Coater& to operate this de.ice success"u##y a user
wi## need:
An appropriate#y si/ed !ateria# su%strate&
A syringe or pipette (to deposit the #i-uid
#ayer+&
A pair o" twee/ers (pre"era%#y e"#on& to a.oid
da!aging the su%strate+'
1enera# Warnings
0" the spin coater is contained in a c#ean roo!& p#ease
wear the appropriate #a% attire to a.oid conta!inating
the "i#! and the surrounding #a% e-uip!ent'
0" the #i-uid %eing deposited is potentia##y to,ic& p#ease
on#y operate spin coater too#s #ocated within a "u!e
hood& #i2e the spin coater shown in )igure 2'
)igure *: PWM32 Spin Coater Su%strate Cha!%er'
Operating the er!ina#
*' urning on the Syste!
Be"ore using the spin coater
ter!ina#& !a2e certain to turn on the
3acuu! Pu!p and Spin Contro#
switches (shown in )igure 3+' he
3acuu! Pu!p switch !ust %e on to
2eep a .acuu! sea# on your
su%strate& and the Spin Contro#
switch !ust %e on "or the ter!ina# to
wor2'
2' 0nterpreting the Disp#ay 4 Buttons
Disp#ay
o 5ecipe: states the current recipe
%eing used'
o Step: #ists either the current step
or the range o" steps in a recipe (6
3 !eans there are 3 steps+'
o 3acuu!: disp#ays either A7 "or
Auto (on#y on when recipe is
running+& or O8 (on whether the
recipe is running or not+'
o 9,haust: disp#ays sa!e as
3acuu!'
o )unctions: disp#ays either 8 "or
no& A "or auto& or : "or yes'
Buttons
o 5ecipe: a##ows user to se#ect a
recipe (nu!%ered *6;+'
)igure 2: )u!e Hood Containing a
Spin Coating oo# (right side o" the
i!age+'
)igure 3: Spin Coater er!ina# and Syste! Switches'
o Speed/5a!p: a##ows user to e,a!ine/edit the speed (in rotations per !inute+ and
ra!p (acce#eration+'
o 9,haust 4 3acuu!: a##ows user to
switch %etween <auto!atic= and
<a#ways on= contro#s'
o Step: a##ows user to input which step they want to e,a!ine/edit within a recipe
(entering > e,its this option+'
o )unctions: a##ows user to ad?ust syste! routines that occur during recipes (not
necessary "or creating or running recipes+'
o Step er!inate: a##ows user to deter!ine how #ong each step is in a recipe'
o Syste! Para!eters: a##ows user to change de"au#t syste! responses and #ayout'
3' Progra!!ing a 5ecipe
7n#ess the recipe a user wants to run is a#ready !ade& users wi## ha.e to progra! their own
recipe' 9ach step o" a recipe descri%es a rotationa#
speed& acce#eration& and a running ti!e'
Creating the 5ecipe
o Ho#d the 5ecipe %utton unti# the
disp#ay reads <0nput Which 5ecipe
to O.erwrite&= then use the 2eypad
to enter the new recipe nu!%er'
Progra!!ing Steps
o Ho#d the Step %utton unti# the
disp#ay reads <0nput the 8u!%er o"
Steps&= then use the 2eypad to enter
the tota# steps in the recipe'
o Choose step *'
o Press Speed/5a!p& and then use the
2eypad to input the speed in rp!
and ra!p in rp!/sec (shown in
)igure @'a+'
o Press Step er!inate& and then use
the 2eypad to input the running ti!e
"or the step in seconds (shown in
)igure @'%+'
o Choose the ne,t step& and repeat this
process'
o Press Step& and then > to "inish
progra!!ing steps'
9,iting the 5ecipe
o Press O)) to #ea.e the co!p#eted
recipe'
)igure A: Disp#ay Screen and Buttons
on the Spin Coater er!ina#'
)igure @: a+ 9ntering the 5a!p and
%+ 9ntering the Step Bength "or
Step 3 o" A in 5ecipe 2'
Boading 4 5unning the Spin Coater
*' Boading the Su%strate'
Choose the Appropriate Su%strate
o When using a Spin Coater& the su%strate %eing used !ust %e
at #east 1 in. away "ro! the cha!%er edge to a.oid
da!aging the cha!%er'
o he su%strate !ateria# !ust %e a pure#y so#id o%?ect$
otherwise the spin coater wi## scatter the su%strate a## o.er
the cha!%er'
Choose the Appropriate Si/e Spinning Chuc2'
o Mu#tip#e Spinning Chuc2 si/es are usa%#e in PWM32 Spin
Coaters (as shown in )igure C+& so use the chuc2 that co.ers
as !uch o" your su%strate'
o Chec2 that the .acuu! sea# (the ho#e in the center o" a
spinning chuc2+ is not c#ogged with any !ateria#s' 0" the
.acuu! sea# is c#ogged& the su%strate !ay detach whi#e
running a recipe'
P#ace the Su%strate into the Spin Coater Cha!%er
o he su%strate !ust %e centered on top o" the
spinning chuc2$ otherwise the .acuu! sea# wi##
not operate proper#y'
2' Preparing the Syste!
Deposit the Bi-uid Materia#
o 7se a pipette or syringe to deposit a
#i-uid "i#! onto the su%strate
sur"ace& as shown in )igure D'
Se#ect the Proper 5ecipe
o 7se the ter!ina# to se#ect
whiche.er recipe is appropriate "or
this su%strate and coating'
)igure C: Di""erent#y Si/ed
Spinning Chuc2s "or Attaching
3arious Su%strates'
)igure D: Drip6Coating a Su%strate
with a Pipette'
3' 5unning the 5ecipe
Bocate the Start Peda#
o he start peda# shou#d %e
#ocated on the "#oor near the
Spin Coater (shown in )igure
E+'
o he peda# has two switches:
a green switch "or starting the
recipe& and a red switch "or
"orce stopping the recipe'
Co.er the Spin Coating Cha!%er
o Be"ore starting the recipe& the spin coating cha!%er !ust %e co.ered (shown in
)igure ;+& otherwise the #i-uid coating wi## spray the
surrounding area'
urn the 3acuu! to <O8=
o he .acuu! sea# is !ore
re#ia%#e "or running recipes when set to <O8= instead o" <A7'=
Press the 1reen Peda# to Start the 5ecipe
Additiona# Operation Warning
0n cases where the recipe !ust %e stopped&
use the red peda#' Pressing this switch wi##
disp#ay the screen shown in )igure *>$ to get
%ac2 to the typica# operation screen& si!p#y
press the green switch'
)igure E: Start Peda#
"or the PWM32 Spin
Coater'
)igure ;: Co.er "or the
Spin Coating Cha!%er'
)igure *>: 9rror Screen "or Stopping
5ecipes'