The ejection of atoms from the surface of a material (the target) by bombardment with energetic

particles is called sputtering [1-11]. Sputtering is a momentum transfer process in which atoms
from a cathode/target are driven off by bombarding ions. Sputtered atoms travel until they strike
a substrate, where they deposit to from the desired layer.
The simplest source of ions for sputtering is provided by the well-known phenomenon of glow
discharge due to an applied electric field between two electrodes in a gas at low pressure. The
gas breaks down to conduct electricity when a certain minimum voltage is reached. Such an
ionized gas is called plasma. Ions of the plasma are accelerated at the target by a large electric
field. When the ions impact the target, atoms (or molecules) are ejected from the surface of the
target into the plasma, where they are carried away and then deposited on the substrate. This
type of sputtering is called “DC sputtering” (figure 1).

Figure 1: Basic elements of a DC sputtering system

In order to avoid any chemical reaction between the sputtered atoms and the sputtering gas, the
sputtering gas is usually an inert gas, such as argon. However, in some applications, such as the
deposition of oxides and nitrides, a reactive gas is purposely added to argon so that the deposited
film is a chemical compound. This type of sputtering is called “reactive sputtering”.
When the plasma ions strike the target, their electrical charge is neutralized and they return to
the process as atoms. If the target is an insulator, the neutralization process results in a positive
charge on the target surface. This charge may reach a level where bombarding ions are repelled
and the sputtering process stops. To continue the process, the polarity must be reversed to attract
enough electrons from the plasma to eliminate surface charge. This periodic reversal of polarity
is done automatically by applying a radio-frequency (RF) voltage on the target assembly. Thus,
this type of sputtering is known as “RF sputtering”, (figure 2).

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 Figure 2: Basic elements of an RF sputtering system

In order to increase the efficiency of the sputtering process, it is common for the sputtering
source to have some magnetic confinement through a magnetron source. The effect of the
magnetic field is to spiral the electrons so that they have more chance of undergoing an ionizing
collision thus enabling the plasma to be operated at a higher density. This type of sputtering is
called “magnetron sputtering” and it can be used with DC or RF sputtering.
Materials that can be sputtered include elements (such as pure metals and elemental
semiconductors), alloys, and compounds (such as oxides, nitrides, sulfides, and carbides).
Sputtering allows for the deposition of films having the same composition as the target source.
This is the primary reason for the widespread use of sputtering as a thin-film deposition
technique. Compared to other deposition techniques, sputtering gives more uniform and
reproducible results.
In conclusion, sputtering has the following distinct features:
 It is a versatile technique that can be used for almost all material types.
 It has many process variables that may be used to tailor and modify the properties of the
materials.
 The use of solid targets makes it possible to control the type and composition of the
material. In addition, this avoids the use of complicated process chemistry.
 Compared with other advanced thin film deposition technologies, such as MOCVD or
MBE, sputtering has the following advantages:
o Simple apparatus
o Low deposition temperatures
o Affordable price

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 12. REFERENCES
1. K. L. Chaopra: Thin Film Phenomena, McGraw-Hill, New York 1969.
2. C. R. Brundle, C. A. Evans, and S. Wilson (eds.): Encyclopedia of Materials
Characterization, Butter Worth-Heinemann, Boston 1992.
3. M. Ohring: The Materials Science of Thin Films, Academic Press, San Diego 1992.
4. D. M. Mattox: Handbook of Physical Vapor Deposition Processing, Noyes Publications,
New Jersey 1998.
5. N. B. Dahotre and T. S. Sudarshan (eds.): Intermetallic and Ceramic Coatings, Marcel
Dekker Inc., New York 1999.
6. H. Bach and D. Krause (eds.): Thin Films on Glass, Springer, Berlin 2003.
7. K. Wasa, M. Kitabatake, and H. Adachi: Thin Film Materials Technology, William
Andrew Publishing, Norwich 2004.
8. V. S. Smentkowski, “Trends in sputtering”, Progress in Surface Science Vol. 64
(2000), pp.1-58.
9. M. V. Ramana Murty, “Sputtering: the material erosion tool”, Surface Science Vol. 500
(2002), pp. 523-544.
10. S. Berg and T. Nyberg, “Fundamental understanding and modeling of reactive
sputtering processes”, Thin Solid Films Vol. 476 (2005), pp. 215-230.
11. W. D. Sproul, D. J. Christie, and D. C. Carter, “ Control of reactive sputtering
processes”, Thin Solid Films Vol. 491 (2005), pp. 1-17.

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