SPUTTERING

INTRODUCTION
Sputtering is a technique used to deposit thin films of a material onto a surface (substrate). By
first creating gaseous plasma and then accelerating the ions from this plasma into some
source material (target), the source material is eroded by the arriving ions via energy transfer
and is ejected in the form of neutral particles - either individual atoms, clusters of atoms or
molecules. As these neutral particles are ejected they will travel in a straight line unless they
come into contact with something - other particles or a nearby surface. If a "substrate" such as
a Si wafer is placed in the path of these ejected particles it will be coated by thin film of the
source material.
Although SPUTTERING as described above seems relatively intuitive familiarization with
the following terms or concepts will give a more comprehensive understanding of this
process.
Sometimes described as the "fourth state of matter" (the first three being solid, liquid,
gas), a gaseous plasma is actually a "dynamic condition" where neutral gas atoms, ions,
electrons and photons exist in a near balanced state simultaneously. An energy source (e.g.
RF, DC, MW) is required to "feed" and thus maintain the plasma state while the plasma is
losing energy into its surroundings. One can create this dynamic condition by metering a gas
(e.g. Ar) into a pre-pumped vacuum chamber and allowing the chamber pressure to reach a
specific level (e.g. 0.1 Torr) and introducing a live electrode into this low pressure gas
environment using a vacuum feedthrough.

SPUTTERING is a widely used and highly versatile vacuum coating system used for
the deposition of a variety of coating materials.

Plasma at higher pressure is used to knock "metal atoms out of a target. These
energetic atoms deposit on a wafer located near the target. The higher pressure produces
better step coverage due to more random angled delivery. The excess energy of the ions
also aids in increasing the surface mobility (movement of atoms on the surface)

PROCEDURE/ MECHANISM
SPUTTERING PROCESS
Energy of each incoming ion is 500-1000eV. Energy of sputtered atoms is 3-10eV.
Thus, the sputtering process is very inefficient from the energy point of view, 95% of
incoming energy goes to target heating & secondary electron.

 High rate sputter processes need efficient cooling techniques to avoid target damage from
overheating (serious problem).
The sputtered species, in general, are predominantly neutral.
The energy of the ejected atoms shows a Max-Wellian distribution with a long tail toward
higher energies.
The energies of the atoms or molecules sputtered at a given rate are about one order of
magnitude higher than those thermally evaporated at the same rate, which often lead to
better film quality.
However, since sputtering yields are low and the ion currents are limited, sputterdeposition rates are invariably one to two orders of magnitude lower compared to thermal
evaporation rates under normal conditions
SPUTTERING MECHANISM

The fundamental mechanism of sputtering is the collision interaction between the

impinging ions and the lattice atoms of the target. The ion dissipates it's energy in
collision cascades. The ejection depth of the target atoms is approx. 1 nm.

For quantitative statements one has to apply the formalism of transport theory to the
mechanism of a collision cascade:

At ion energies Ei < 1keV the Born-Mayer potential may be used.

At Ei > 1 keV the Thomas-Fermi potential is valid.

APPLICATION
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
SCHEMATICS DIAGRAM
1. INDUCTION HARDENING
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE/ MECHANISM
APPLICATION
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
SCHEMATICS DIAGRAM
2. ANODISING
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE/ MECHANISM
APPLICATION

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

CONCLUSION
SCHEMATICS DIAGRAM
3. CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE/ MECHANISM
APPLICATION
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
SCHEMATICS DIAGRAM
4. ELECTROPATING
INTRODUCTION
PROCEDURE/ MECHANISM
APPLICATION
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
SCHEMATICS DIAGRAM