Sputtering deposition as a conventional coating method
From vapour to homogeneous film
Sputtering is a PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) class of thin film technology. The material to be coated (the sputtering target) is bombarded with plasma ions and the removed particles enter into the gas phase. The vapour then condenses on the substrate surface, adheres to it firmly, and forms a very thin layer. This process enables the uniform application of very diverse substances (metals, alloys, oxides and nitrides) on a wide variety of substrates; from semiconductor wafers to architectural glass.
Sputtering deposition is a well-established coating method used in thin film technology for decades in a wide variety of applications. FHR is a global technology leader in the field of sputtering technology, particularly in the use of magnetrons. Our company offers special expertise in reactive and non-reactive magnetron sputtering with direct current (DC), pulsed direct current (pulsed DC, unipolar and bipolar), as well as medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) alternating currents. The various sputtering technologies are integrated into FHR systems depending on the materials used, the properties of the respective coatings and the deposition rates.
FHR also manufactures sputtering targets in-house to ensure our customers from the highest quality of the final coatings. If your desired coating material(s) cannot be produced directly or reactively with a single target, we also offer co-sputtering technology, where two or more different targets are used within the same deposition process. Co-sputtering of magnetrons in a confocal arrangement with only one set of targets is particularly an attractive solution for R&D cluster tools, where adjusting the composition of the coating should be as flexible as possible for process development.
