Sputtering

Sputtering
 A process that uses ions ofan inert gas to dislodge
atoms from the surface of a
crystalline material, the atoms then being electrical
ly deposited to form an
extremely thin coating on a
glass, metal, plastic, or other surface.
Sputtering steps
 Ions are generated and directed at a target.
 The ions sputter targets atoms.
 The ejected atoms are transported to the substrate.
 Atoms condense and form a thin film.
Sputtering
 Use high temperatures at high vacuum to
evaporate atoms or molecules off a materials
surface.
 Use ballistic flow to transport them to a substrate
and deposit.
 Film uniformity is an important issue.
 Instead of using heat to eject materials from a
source, we can bombard them with high speed
particles.
 The momentum transfer from the particles to the
surface atoms can impart enough energy to allow
the surface atoms to escape.
 Once ejected these atoms can travel to a substrate
and deposit as a film.
 So in sputtering, the target material and the
substrate is placed in a vacuum chamber.
 A voltage is supplied between them, so that the
target is the cathode and the substrate is attached
to the anode.
 A plasma is created by ionizing a sputtering gas
like Argon.
 The sputtering gas bombards the target and
sputters off the material to deposit.
Generating and controlling plasma
 Atomic particles can best be easily controlled by
electromagnetic methods if they are charged. A
weakly charged gas of particles that exhibit
collective behavior is called a plasma.
 Ions can be generated by the collision of neutral
atoms with high energy electrons.
 The interaction of the ions and the target are
determined by the velocity and energy of the ions.
 The process begins with a stray electron near the
cathode is accelerated towards the anode and
collides with a neutral gas atom converting it to a
positively charged ion.
Plasma coating

 With low-pressure plasma, work pieces can

be improved with various coatings. To achieve
this, gaseous and liquid raw materials are fed into
the vacuum chamber.
 In plasma cross-linking, the raw materials,
mostly short-chain monomers, are converted
to long-chain polymers. The selection of raw
materials then determines the coating properties.
coating properties
 Hydrophobic (water  Frictionless
repellent) coatings/non-stick
 Hydrophilic (water- coatings
attracting/wetting)  Adhesion
 Scratch protection promoter/primer
 Corrosion protection  Water/steam barriers
 Carbon coating  Metallization
 Barriers/diffusion  Nano-silver
barriers
Advantages of plasma-coating
 Extremely thin coatings are possible on the
nanometre scale
 Series ready, steady processes are possible through
full automation
 Variety of options are feasible
 No temperature loading
 No solvents
 Very good gap penetration properties
 Suitable for general items and bulk
Plasma Treatment of Textiles

 Plasma treatment systems are used to plasma

clean, activate, etch, and coat surfaces. In plasma
cleaning, the surface is cleaned by ion
bombardment and chemical reactions. After
plasma activation, the non-polar surfaces are
changed into adhesive surfaces and the surface
energy increases.
 To plasma etch or to remove material, the surface
is etched with an etchant gas. With plasma coating,
the monomers polymerize and form a coat on the
surface.
 In low pressure plasma treatment systems, plasma
is generated in a closed chamber under a vacuum
so that there are only small quantities of the gas. In
atmospheric plasma systems, a plasma is expelled
by a compressed air source.
Plasma technology in the textile industry

 The textile industry makes use of plasma for the benefit

of surfaces with, for example, hydrophobic, hydrophilic
or dirt-repellent properties.
 By generating additional functions such as flame
retardants and self-cleaning equipment, plasma
treatment can achieve new material properties.
 Plasma pretreatment also improves the wettability and
dye-ability of textiles.