AMAT 0660-01699 5-Channel Convectron Gauge Controller

Applied Materials (AMAT) 0660-01699 is a specialized 5-Channel Convectron Module Card.

Manufactured for AMAT by Granville-Phillips (often associated with model number 332148 or PCB part 012141-102), this board is a critical vacuum measurement interface.

It is primarily used to monitor and control vacuum levels across multiple points in the mainframe and process chambers of Centura and Endura platforms.

Technical Parameter Table

Related Models

The 0660-01699 is often grouped with other vacuum and gauge control modules:

0660-01698: Single or Dual-channel variation.

0660-01934: Enhanced Vacuum Interface Board.

0190-09685: Digital I/O Interface (often works alongside vacuum logic).

Granville-Phillips 350/355: Standalone Convectron controller series.

Application Cases

This module is the primary “vacuum intelligence” for the tool’s mainframe:

Chamber Base Pressure Monitoring: Real-time tracking of vacuum levels before and after process cycles.

Load Lock Control: Managing the 5-point pressure differential during wafer atmospheric-to-vacuum transitions.

Safety Interlocks: Providing hardware-level signals to the system controller to prevent gate valves from opening if a pressure mismatch is detected.

Transfer Module Vacuum: Monitoring the central transfer chamber (robotics area) to ensure zero-contamination environments.

Product Advantages and Features

RFI Suppression: Specifically designed with advanced shielding to operate accurately in high-interference environments (near RF generators and Plasma sources).

High-Density Monitoring: Consolidates 5 gauge controllers into a single VME slot, significantly reducing rack space requirements.

Granville-Phillips Reliability: Uses industry-standard Convectron technology known for high stability and low drift over years of operation.

Plug-and-Play Diagnostics: Features an ejector-style VME faceplate for rapid replacement during preventive maintenance (PM) cycles.

Other Models in the Same Series

0660-01697: Analog Vacuum Interface Card.

0660-00602: VME PCB Card (VM162/172 Logic).

332134: Granville-Phillips IGC (Ion Gauge Controller) PCB.

Installation and Maintenance

Warning: Convectron gauges and their control boards are sensitive to gas composition. Calibration is required if the system gas species changes significantly.

Installation: Align the board with the VME guide rails and use the front-panel ejector handles to seat the connectors firmly.

Ensure the 9-pin or 15-pin D-sub cables (connected to the physical gauges) are screwed in tightly to prevent signal “floating.”

Maintenance: Periodically check the diagnostic LEDs on the board front. A “Fault” or “Low” light often indicates a failing physical Convectron gauge tube rather than a board failure.

Calibration: Use the onboard potentiometers (if equipped) to zero the gauges when the chamber is at base vacuum ($< 1 \times 10^{-4}$ Torr).

Unique Product Description

The AMAT 0660-01699 is the “tactile sense” of the vacuum system. In a semiconductor tool, knowing the exact pressure is the difference between a successful film deposition and a destroyed wafer batch.

This board translates the subtle thermal conductivity changes from five different points in the tool into precise digital data.

While modern tools have moved toward integrated digital gauges, the 0660-01699 remains the gold standard for Centura and Endura systems, offering a level of RFI protection and multi-channel density that defined an era of semiconductor excellence.