Target Installation:

1. Make sure the target, sputtering head, substrate, and heating stage are clean before coating
2. Need to use the sandpaper and alcohol to clean and fresh the Al or Nickel target each time using.
3. Alumina target can easily go to poisoned state (like shown the picture), it will be not coated.  Please click to learn more target "poisoning".
4. Run continuity test

Test One  (Aluminum Target

In MTI  VTC-16-SM Standard Package)

DC Magnetron Plasma Sputtering Coater

Result:

The Plasma Halo      

Substrate

MTI  VTC-16-SM  Note

• Need to reach Ultimate Vacuum  before Pre-sputter( Reading from 1.6*10-4 hpa)
• Coating quality is more related to the depositions parameters (substrate-target distance, deposition pressure and rate).
• To achieve better coating, one way is increasing coating time. Please wait after totally cooled down,repeat two or three time.
• Useful Tips for Improving Sputtering Results
  1. Keep the specimen chamber of the sputtering coater clean at all times
  2. Isopropyl alcohol is preferred for cleaning metal surfaces (including targets) as acetone takes longer to outgas and could reduce vacuum performance
  3. Always isolate the rough vacuum pump from the specimen chamber to prevent the backflow of pump oil (hydrocarbons) into the chamber. This prevention of chamber contamination is normally achieved by shutting off the valve that connects the coater unit and the vacuum pump
  4. Rotary substrate holders can be used to improve the evenness of coating on specimens with irregular surfaces
  5. Coating uniformity can be further improved by using high purity gas and targets. Ideally, the targets used should be at least 20% larger in diameter than the substrates
• Choosing the right crystal for optional Film Thickness Monitor. 
  Three electrode material: Gold, Silver, Alloy.
  1.   Recommend gold crystals for most applications.
  2.  Silver crystals will provide superior performance in processes with high heat loads, such as sputtering. Also improve the deposition of oxides.
  3. And alloy crystals are recommended for optical coating with dielectric materials and for semiconductor processes with high-stress materials.

Test Two  (Copper Target

Optional Target For MTI VTC-16-SM)

Result:

Halo

Test Three  (Nickel Target

Optional Target for  VTC-16-SM)

DC Magnetron Plasma Sputtering Coater

Note: It is recommended that the thickness Nickel Target should less than 0.5mm.

Nickel: Alternative for special EDS application, not ideal for SE imaging. Suitable for BE imaging. Low sputtering rates. Coating oxidizes.

Copper: Alternative for EDS applications. Suitable for medium/low magnifications, special EDS applications and BE imaging.

Test Four  (Chromium Target

Optional Target for  VTC-16-SM)

DC Magnetron Plasma Sputtering Coater

HALO

DC Plasma Coating Application Notes

1.       Must clean target surface before coating. Make sure the substrate, metallic materials and the heating stage clean.

2.       For the first use, the sputtering coating might not be efficient. Please repeat the coating by following the instructions to obtain obvious film.

3.       For different metallic materials, practice to achieve best parameters and experience. Here are some references based on the collected data in the past experiments.

4.       The sputtering current increases as the vacuum increase.

5.       In order to protect the coating machine, the Sputtering current shall be less than 150mA, the Coating time shall be less than 300s.