• CRACKING THE CRAZING CODE: PART ONE
• PROCESS DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR
• COMMON SOURCES OF CRAZING
• ASK DOUG!

Does your sputtering process have you spewing and spitting?

Doug Pelleymounter is a senior application engineer at Advanced Energy and has more than 33 years of hands-on experience working with all kinds of challenging sputtering applications. He is a major contributor to AE's PV Sun Times^SM and Sputter Spotlight^® e-newsletters. In this column, Doug helps you answer some of your difficult application questions. E-mail your sputtering applications questions to Doug at Sputtering@aei.com.

1. I have a question concerning the Pinnacle® Plus+ 5 kW (325 to 650 VDC). We are using it with a small 3" molybdenum target (in DC mode) with a magnetron for sputtering moly films. However, our current process runs only at 300 W (at about 400 VDC; 0.75 A), which is well below the specified repeatability ("0.1% from 10% to 100% of rated power"). I'm a bit concerned about the overall process stability. Do you have any idea on the output accuracy and repeatability of the 5 kW power supply, operating at only 300 W? Would it be better to use a 500 W DC model?
2. How far apart do the magnetrons need to be when you are using an AC supply and a dual-magnetron system (DMS)?
3. What rate can I expect from a dual-magnetron system and AC supply compared to a DC supply and one magnetron?

• YOU'RE GROUNDED: PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER GROUNDING
• GENERAL PRINCIPLES
• SYSTEM GROUNDING
• ASK DOUG!

Does your sputtering process have you spewing and spitting?

Doug Pelleymounter, AE's strategic marketing engineer for industrial sputtering, has more than 33 years, or 231 dog-years, of hands-on experience working with all kinds of challenging sputtering applications. In this column, Doug helps you answer some of your difficult application questions. Submit your question or comment to sputtering@aei.com. 

1. I am setting up a process and have a question regarding an RF power supply. What are the advantages and disadvantages of running a process in voltage or power mode? Will I get the same film properties running the process in fixed power that I will get running it in fixed voltage mode?
2. We are researching TiO₂ films for an optical application using a single magnetron cathode. The target would be TiO₂ using a pulsed-DC power supply. The substrate would be heated up to 350°C max, and we would use O₂ and Ar as process gases. Can you recommend a pulsed-DC power supply and the best process parameters to get a good, dense film and high deposition rate? What is the maximum deposition rate possible for TiO₂? Give me the same information for SiO₂.
3. I don’t have enough space in my chamber to use DC in my dual-magnetron system. Are there any good alternatives?
4. I’ve heard that setup for RF superimposed DC is complicated. What are the main pitfalls to avoid?

• EVALUATING POWER SUPPLY QUALITY
• DON'T GET CALLED AT 2 A.M.: TROUBLESHOOTING THE MOST COMMON PROCESS PROBLEM
• ASK DOUG!

Does your sputtering process have you spewing and spitting?

Doug Pelleymounter, AE's senior field application engineer, has more than 32 years, or 224 dog-years, of hands-on experience working with all kinds of challenging sputtering applications. In this column, Doug helps you answer some of your difficult application questions. Submit your question or comment to sputtering@aei.com. 

1. What is the difference in utilization between planar and rotatable targets?
2. How do the different erosion patterns of planar and rotatable targets affect the process over the course of the target's lifetime?
3. You’ve mentioned before that generally, pulsed-DC and AC power produce better films than straight DC. What is the actual difference in film quality?
4. How can I optimize my sputter rate?
5. I’ve heard that an upcoming technology called HPPMS produces extremely flat, uniform films, but is not yet widely available. Are there any alternatives that produce similar results using readily available equipment? 

Read Full Article