When using CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) coating electric furnaces in laboratories, the following precautions should be taken to ensure the safe operation of the equipment and the quality of the coating:

Multi temperature zone CVD coating electric furnace commonly used in the laboratory (click on the image to view product details)

1. Equipment installation and preparation
Follow the equipment operation manual: Install the equipment in the correct order to ensure that all components are tightly connected, such as electrode connections, quartz tube joint assembly, vacuum pump connections, etc. Pay special attention to the position of sealing components such as rubber rings to avoid damage during the tightening process.
Clean the reaction chamber: Before use, thoroughly clean the reaction chamber, pipelines, valves, and other components to ensure that there are no impurities. Use disposable latex finger cots and other tools to avoid direct contact with seals or other sensitive parts with bare hands.
Check gas supply: Ensure the supply of gases required for coating, such as SiH ₄, NH ∝, etc. Check if the gas pipeline connections are correct and secure, if the gas pressure meets the requirements, and if the gas purity meets the equipment's specified standards.

2. Equipment startup and parameter settings
Start the device: Follow the device operation manual and start the device in the correct order. After startup, check and set various parameters through the touch panel, such as gas flow rate, tube furnace temperature curve, vacuum pump, etc.
Set parameters: Accurately set the gas flow rate according to the coating process requirements. Set the heating program for the tube furnace to ensure that the temperature curve meets the requirements. Before heat treatment, adjust the vacuum degree in the pipe to meet the operating requirements and avoid too high or too low vacuum degree.

3. Coating process monitoring
Pay close attention to parameter changes: During the coating process, closely monitor changes in parameters such as vacuum degree, gas flow rate, and temperature. If there is any abnormality, the coating operation should be stopped immediately, the cause should be identified and dealt with.
Regularly check the coating effect, such as film thickness, uniformity, adhesion, etc. If abnormal coating is found, adjust the process parameters or stop coating in a timely manner.

4. Equipment shutdown and cleaning
Turn off the equipment: After the coating is completed, turn off the equipment in the order specified in the equipment operation manual. Tube furnace heat treatment, vacuum pump, and finally turn off irrelevant gases.
Cleaning equipment: After turning off the equipment and waiting for it to cool down to a safe temperature, clean the remaining coating materials, dust, and other impurities inside the equipment. Use specialized cleaning tools and cleaning agents for cleaning, but be careful to avoid corrosion of equipment components caused by cleaning agents.

5. Safe operation and maintenance
Adhere to operating procedures: Strictly follow operating procedures and safety rules during the operation process. Equipped with a separate regulated power supply and grounding system to ensure stable power supply.
Regular equipment inspection: Regularly check the safety performance of the equipment, such as whether the cable contact is good, whether the vacuum pump is normal, etc.
Regular maintenance: Regularly maintain and upkeep the equipment, including replacing vacuum pump oil, checking seals, cleaning target materials, calibrating instruments, etc. The maintenance cycle depends on the frequency of use and working environment of the equipment. It is generally recommended to conduct an overall maintenance every certain period of time (such as 1-3 months) or after completing a certain coating task.
Establish maintenance files: Establish equipment maintenance files to record information such as equipment operation, maintenance time, and content, in order to promptly identify potential issues with the equipment.

6. Other precautions
Cold furnace use: When using a cold furnace, due to the cold nature of the tubular furnace, a large amount of heat needs to be absorbed, so the heating rate in the low-temperature section is not easy to be too fast, and the difference in heating rate between different temperature sections is not easy to be too large. When setting the heating rate, full consideration should be given to the physical and chemical properties of the sintered material to avoid material spraying and contamination of the furnace tube.
Furnace temperature limit: When the furnace temperature is greater than or equal to 200 degrees Celsius, it is forbidden to open the furnace to avoid injury. The furnace temperature should not exceed the rated temperature as much as possible to avoid damaging the heating elements and furnace body.
Pressure control: When using the equipment, the pressure inside the furnace tube should not exceed 0.02 MPa to prevent equipment damage caused by excessive pressure. When the temperature of the furnace body exceeds 1000 degrees Celsius, the inside of the furnace tube cannot be in a vacuum state. The inside of the furnace tube should be at atmospheric pressure, which is basically consistent with atmospheric pressure.
Gas operation: For the operation of toxic or flammable gases, additional safety measures must be taken, such as ventilation equipment, explosion-proof devices, etc. It is not recommended to close the exhaust valve and inlet valve at the flange end of the furnace tube when heating the sample. If you want to close the air valve to heat the sample, you need to always pay attention to the displayed value of the pressure gauge. When the absolute pressure gauge reading is greater than 0.02 MPa, the exhaust valve must be opened immediately to prevent accidents.

1200 ℃ experimental CVD coating electric furnace (click on the image to view product details)

In general, when operating CVD for experiments, it is important to constantly observe the coating process. If there are any unresolved issues, you can check the nameplate on the back of the equipment and consult with the manufacturer's technical personnel to solve the problem. Do not force testing to prevent unexpected malfunctions!Click to learn more CVD system furnace! Or click on online customer service to learn more about product information!