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Thin Film Deposition & Reactive Ion Etching

Physical Vapor Deposition:

DC Magnetron Sputtering and Electron Beam Evaporation

PVD

The CNMS offers two tools for depositing metals on substrates: an AJA International ATC 2400 sputtering system and a Thermionics VE-240 e-beam evaporator.

The E-beam evaporator uses an electron beam to heat up metals to a vapor phase.  The substrates are mounted above the E-beam guns so when the shutter is opened over the electron gun the deposition occurs. 

The DC sputtering tool uses an argon plasma for deposition.  The excited argon ions collide with the target material, then the atoms are ejected from the target source material. Deposition occurs on the substrate which is mounted below the source.  This DC system is used for sputtering metals alone, it is generally ineffective for sputtering insulators.

Specifications

Specifications for the E-Beam evaporator:

  • Heated Substrate Temperature up to 300 °C
  • Gradient film thickness with a substrate shutter
  • Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) Nano features without lithography  
  • Two electron guns for co-deposition

Specifications for the Sputtering tool:

  • Heated Substrate Temperature up to 200 °C
  • 4 sputtering guns