Magnetron Sputtering is widely used to deposit refractory metals like tantalum, titanium, tungsten, niobium, which would require very high temperatures of deposition, and precious metals: Gold and Silver and which is also used for deposition of lower melting points metals like copper, aluminum, nickle, chrome etc.
Tantalum is most used in the electronic industry as a protective coating because of its good resistance to erosion.
Applications
1. Microelectronics industry as the films can be reactively sputtered and thus resistivity and temperature coefficient of resistance can be controlled;
Medical instruments like body implants for its high bio-compatability property;
Coatings on corrosion resistant parts, such as thermowells, valve bodies, and fasteners;
Sputtered tantalum can be also be used as an effective corrosion resistance barrier if the coating is continuous, defected and is adherent to the substrate it is intended to protect.
Advantages
-A standardized trolley is applied which allows easy and safe loading/unloading of the substrate holders and work pieces in/out of the deposition chamber.
-The system is safety interlocked to prevent incorrect operation or unsafe practices.
-The substrate heaters are provided which are mounted in the center of chamber, PID controlled thermocouple for high accuracy, to enhance the condense film’s adhesion.
-Strong vacuum pumps configurations with Magnetically suspension molecular pump via gate valve connected to chamber; backed with Leybold’s roots pump and two stage rotary vane pump, mechanical pump.
-High energy ionized plasma source is applied with this system to guarantee the uniformity and density.