Written by: Denton Vacuum, LLC
Summary: The type of sputtering can make a difference in the coat a substrate will receive.
Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition has a variety of applications in advanced manufacturing that range from aerospace to medical devices. The different kinds of sputtering used will influence the kind of manufacturing used, and the coat the substrate ultimately receives.
Sputter 101
On a smaller level, a sputter coater coats a substrate the way spray paint could coat a wall. An extremely tiny nozzle applies a chemical agent over the surface of a substrate. Given that the chemicals must convert to gas, super heating is a requirement. To protect the substrate, a vacuum sealed chamber is used. Once the chemicals are heated, they are applied in a cooled environment.
Utilizing Magnets for Thin Film Coatings
A magnetron sputtering system works in a similar fashion, except the nozzle mechanism would be replaced by magnets. The idea is to attract metals by pulses of magnetism, which pulls ions throughout the vacuum and onto the substrate. Ions that have an opposing charge are repelled, which smashes the chemicals into the substrate for a different type of coating. This process is also safe, producing low levels of radiation, meaning it can be used widely.
Pros and Cons
A magnetron system is best utilized when you require a uniform layer on the substrate. Magnetron systems perform well, at least as good if not better than the alternative thin film deposition methods, and the process is useful for etching as well. Magnetron systems also excel at sputtering using materials that are non-conducive.
Bio: Denton Vacuum, LLC makes machinery for a wide variety of applications, including thin-film deposition, and electron microscopy.