Sputtering is a physical vapor deposition process where a solid target material is ejected onto a substrate to form a thin coating. A sputtering system contains the entire process and allows for adjustments in temperature, power, pressure, target, and substrate materials. The system uses an energy source to generate electrons that bombard a gas plasma, causing it to ionize and form positive ions that bombard the target material. Sputtering systems vary in design, power source, size, and price. They range from desktop systems to large machines and cost between $20,000 and $650,000 USD.
Sputtering is a thin film deposition process in which a solid target material is ejected onto the surface of a substrate to form a thin coating. A sputtering system is a machine in which a sputtering process occurs. Contains the entire process and allows the user to adjust the temperature, power, pressure, target and substrate materials.
Sputtering is known as physical vapor deposition because the thin film is formed by physical means, rather than through chemical reactions. In a sputtering system, a vacuum chamber contains the target material, an energy source, and a gas plasma. The gas, which is usually a noble gas such as argon, is introduced into the chamber at a very low pressure to start the process.
The energy source generates electrons which bombard the plasma gas and these electrons chase away other electrons in the gas. This causes the gas to ionize and form positive ions known as cations. These cations in turn bombard the target material, causing small pieces of it to fall through the chamber and deposit on the substrate. The process is easily perpetuated in the sputtering system chamber, as extra electrons are released during the ionization of the plasma gas.
Sputtering systems vary in terms of design, power source, size, and price. The orientation of the target material and substrate are specific to each machine. Some systems will face the target material parallel to the substrate surface, while others will tilt either surface to form a different deposition pattern. Confocal sputtering, for example, orients multiple units of target material in a circle pointing towards a focal point. The substrate in this type of system can then be rotated for more uniform deposition.
The power source also varies, as some systems use direct current (DC) power, while others use radio frequency (RF) power. One type of sputtering system, known as magnetron sputtering, also includes magnets to stabilize free electrons and smooth thin-film deposition. These methods give the sputtering system different qualities in terms of temperature and deposition rate.
Sputtering systems range in size from desktop systems to large machines larger than a refrigerator. The internal chamber also varies in size, but is generally much smaller than the machine itself; most chambers are less than 1 yard (about 1 metre) in diameter. The cost of a sputtering system ranges from less than $20,000 US Dollars (USD) used, to as much as $650,000 USD for a new or custom-designed system.
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