1. What is sputtering deposition?

Sputter deposition is a method of depositing thin films by sputtering material from a “target”. Sputtering is a term used to describe the mechanism in which atoms are ejected from the surface of a material when that surface is stuck by sufficiency energetic ions generated by low-pressure gas plasma, usually an argon plasma. The sputtering takes place at a much lower temperature than evaporation. Sputtered atoms ejected into the gas phase in vapor form are not in their thermodynamic equilibrium state and tend to condense on all surfaces in the vacuum chamber including the substrate.

2. Why are thin films important?

There are many useful applications for thin films. We desire to produce properties in a material that are often conflicting in nature if we use one homogeneous material. Semiconductor devices, for example, are fabricated on a thin layer deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The integrated electronic circuits depend on the confinement of electrical charges, which relies on the interfaces between different materials with different electronic properties. There are also many occasions when the properties demanded an engineering application involve features that are different for the surface than that are for the bulk. Depositing metal films and patterning them on the surface are relatively easy to secure electrical connection between semiconductor devices.

3.How does a sputtering system work?

Generally, in sputtering systems ions are generated and directed at a target, then ions sputter targets atoms. The ejected atoms are transported to the substrate and atoms condense and form a thin film. Below image shows the simple schematic of a sputtering system.

DTE: New High Vacuum Desk Thermal Evaporator

High Vacuum Thermal Evaporator

DTE is a Desktop Thermal Evaporator system to deposit thin layers of materials on the substrate for research purposes and investigation by electron microscopy. DTE is configured as a material evaporator suitable for sample evaporant experiments. This low-budget, small chamber, high-vacuum device is ideal for short time deposition of noble and oxidizing metals.

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Thermal Evaporation

DTE is equipped with a high current power supply and low-voltage (resistive) thermal evaporation platform suitable for a wide variety of thermal evaporation applications. The system allows controlled thermal evaporation of a wide range of materials onto the substrate. Different types of thermal evaporation sources (boat, basket, and coil) can be installed on the single thermal source holder.

The system is equipped with a 1.2 kW high-current DC power supply and can deposit a thin layer of the evaporant material on different surfaces for different applications, such as SEM sample preparation.

Features

Hardware

Material evaporation semi-automatic control
Equipped with a separate DC high-current power supply (max. 12V, 100A)
170 mm diameter Borosilicate-SST vacuum chamber
High vacuum level with built-in turbo pump (Leybold 90 l/s)
Two-stage rotary (optional diaphragm or scroll) backing pump
Quartz crystal monitoring system for real time thickness measurement (1 nm precision)
Electronic shutter
Two high-current electric feed-throughs for thermal source insertion
Movable thermal source holder with possible upward or downward deposition configurations
Automatic venting valve
Full range vacuum gauge
S-Clip sample holder on the chamber lead
2-inch rotating sample holder on the base plate (optional)
Sample rotation, height and tilt adjustable (for optional 2-inch sample holder)
Two-year warranty

NSC DTE High Vacuum Desk Thermal Evaporator

Automation

Intuitive touch screen to control the vacuuming process and device manipulation
User friendly software, updatable via network
Electronic shutter

Clean Vacuum

The vacuum chamber is with 170 mm OD and 140 mm H. The DTE is fitted with an internally mounted 90 L/s turbo molecular pump, backed by a 4 m³/h two-stage rotary vane pump (optional).

Touch Screen Control

DTE is equipped with a 7” colored touch-screen panel using user-friendly software to control the deposition process data. The vacuum and coating sequence information can be observed as digital data or curves on the touch screen and the last 300 coatings are saved on the history page.

Sample Holders

DTE deposition system enables metal evaporation in upward and downward configurations.

Upward deposition: The material is loaded in a boat source and the sample is attached to the S-Clips on the chamber lead to allow easy access
Downward deposition: A small amount of desired material is loaded in the basket with rotating sample holder (optional) on the baseplate

DTE Operation Requirements

DTE is a deposition system with a small chamber, making it a compact, light-weight, quick- vacuuming, and low-budget coating device. Although, due to its small chamber, there are some advisory notes regarding this device:

DTE is ideal for short-term thin film coatings, whereas long-term thick layer depositions may damage the chamber
The device is ideal for deposition of source materials with low vaporization temperature
The maximum sample diameter could not exceed 2 inches for rotating substrate holder
If these coating conditions do not suit your purpose, you can try our DTT model with a large 300 mm Dia. chamber and three-thermal sources