Which Thin Film Sputtering Method is Best?
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As an overview, here are some basic guidelines regarding the various approaches to sputtering, pertaining to power supply choices:
1) Straight DC: lowest cost and complexity, highest sputter rate, but lowest film quality. Recommended for basic conductive film applications.
2) AC: very good overall quality and film performance for conductive films; particularly good choice for new in-line industrial coating systems.
3) Pulsed DC: similar results to AC but a better choice for batch systems.
4) Straight DC with 13.56 MHz RF: excellent sputter rate and film quality approaching semiconductor grade, but more complex and expensive and requires an RF blocking filter to protect the DC supply.
5) 2 MHz RF: Good choice for strong dielectric materials such as alumina (Alx).
6) Straight 13.56 MHz RF: if film quality is your primary concern and you can tolerate a low (20%) sputter rate, this is the way to go.
Thinking about a retrofit?
- If your system has AC now and it is working well, stick with AC.
- If your system has DC and only one cathode, switch to pulsed DC (look at Pinnacle Plus+ Series)
- If your system has DC and you are able to add a cathode, consider switching to AC.
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