Laura Lambert wrote:

Monday, June 17, 2013, 16:57 Target is loaded with 510 SiC discs Container was previously coated with TaC and sintered SiC is wrapped with tantalum heat shield Chamber is currently being pumped down

 Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 16:16

HS water valves opened; no leaks were detected.

IG @ 8.9e-7 Torr.

Note: This target has a regular end cap inserted on one end, and the other with a D-cap. 

TGHT will be heated up to 820A and TBHT to 300A; ramping rate at 1A/min.

Stepped up TGHT/TBHT to 60A.  Vacuum slowly increasing... 

 Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 17:55

Stepped up TGHT/TBTH to 80A.  10 mins later, pressure went beyond the limit and tripped of the p/s.  F!

Allowed vacuum to come down below 8e-5 Torr.  Stepped down TGHT/TBHT to 50A.

Currently IG @ 4.8-5 Torr. 

Initiated auto-ramping:  setting: Good Vac = 3e-5 Torr, Bad Vac = 4.0e-5 Torr. 

 Thursday, June 20, 2013, 06:21

About 10 min ago, Evap tripped off due to high vacuum. 

Vacuum came back down below the trip limit and both TGHT/TBHT p/s were stepped down to 40A and turned back on.

Changed auto ramping rate to 05A/120min.  

The process continues...  (And I'm going back to sleep!) 

 Friday, June 21, 2013, 15:19

Vacuum is close to the trip limit. 

Change the ramping rate to 0.2A/120min. 

 Monday, June 24, 2013, 17:04

Organic burnt out is complete and vacuum has come down to ~9.0e-6 Torr.

Increase ramping rate to 0.2A/60min - The sintering process should take about another 2 days if everything goes smoothly. 

 Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 17:29

TGHT & TBHT have reached to 820A and 300A, respectively, for 4 hours.

Vacuum is at 9e-7 Torr. 

Cooling down is in progress, at a rate of 1.0A/min for TGHT and 0.5A/min for TBHT.

The target will be ready to come out by tomorrow.

 Thursday, June 27, 2013, 11:02

TGHT/TBHT reached to 0A.  Vacuum is leveled at 1.2e-7 Torr. 

Chamber will be vented in air soon.