To create a run sheet, open a blank form in the Essential Macleod, specify a Design and Machine Configuration and click on Calculate. Runsheet will automatically assign sources, apply tooling factors and calculate signals. The user can alter any of the parameters such as source assignments, monitoring chips, wavelengths, bandwidths. With a click on Calculate the run sheet is instantly updated. Beyond the capacity of the computer there are no real limits on numbers of layers, numbers of chips and so on.

Runsheet calculates both tables and plots of signal excursion. These are scaled to a user-defined range through the use of zero offset and gain controls which may be individually applied to each layer. The table presents layer termination information both in terms of signal level and as a proportion of the last peak-to-peak excursion.

It is straightforward to modify monitoring parameters so that alternative monitoring plans may be evaluated prior to actual deposition. Runsheet information may also be copied onto the clipboard for further processing and formatting by other applications. Each run sheet is stored as a separate file. When it is recalled, Runsheet checks for any subsequent changes in either materials data or machine configuration and gives appropriate warnings.

The first step in producing a deposition plan is to describe the coating machine and this only needs to be performed once for each machine. The description is entered using the Machine Configuration editor. The information includes the materials available in the machine and their source names, for optical monitors, each different kind of chip available and its optical parameters, some details about the physical setup of the monitoring hardware and, for crystal monitors, the working units of the crystal controller. Both Optical and Crystal monitors may be present in a single machine configuration. 

MONITORLINK

Monitorlink permits the Essential Macleod to communicate with a specific deposition controller. It adds knowledge of the controller to the Essential Macleod, which includes the ability to check that the controller can actually execute the deposition program, and it also loads the programs into the controller. If the controller does not have a suitable PC-based setup program, then Monitorlink will also include a setup program for it that will manage the communication. For optical monitors, the Runsheet enhancement is required, for crystal monitors the Runsheet enhancement is optional.

When Runsheet is present, dynamic tooling factors are applied to the layer thicknesses. Without Runsheet, the crystal controller will be loaded with the unmodified design thicknesses. Because of differences in their operation and constraints, Monitorlink must be ordered for a specific controller.

Please ask for a list of currently supported controllers.