Sputter deposition applications

Applications Although a wide range of metals can be sputtered, the method is often commercially restricted by the low rate of deposition. Applications include the coating of insulating surfaces, e.g. of crystal vibrators, to render them electrically conducting, and the manufacture of some selenium rectifiers. The micro-electronics industry now makes considerable use of sputtering in the production of thin-film resistors and capacitors . ... 

Fig. 10. Time dependence of corrosion rate of Co8P and Co films, electrolessly plated and sputter-deposited onto NiP substrates, in a droplet of DI water. The results were obtained by a repeated application of the polarization resistance technique with the potential scanned at 1 mV/sec in a potential range 15 mV above and below the corrosion potential [125]. (Reprinted by permission of The Electrochemical Society). 

The NEB method has been applied successfiilly to a wide range of problems, for example studies of diffusion processes at metal smfaces, multiple atom exchange processes observed in sputter deposition simulations, dissociative adsorption of a molecule on a smface, diffusion of rigid water molecules on an ice Di siuface, contact formation between metal tip and a smface, cross-slip of screw dislocations in a metal (a simulation requiring over 100,000 atoms in the system, and a total of over 2,000,000 atoms in the MEP calculation), g d diffusion processes at and near semiconductor smfaces (using a plane wave based Density Fimctional Theory method to calculate the atomic forces). In the last two applications the calculation was carried out on a cluster of workstations with the force on each image calculated on a separate node. 

Thin-film media can be made by various technologies, eg, sputtered deposited Co—Cr—X films for longitudinal applications, laminated media for hard disk application, metal evaporated tape, and multilayers for possible applications in magnetooptic recording. 

Wang, L.S. et ah, Sputter deposition of yttria-stabilized zirconia and silver cermet electrodes for SOFC applications, Solid State Ionics, 52, 261-267 (1992). 

High catalyst activity and utilization of sputtered thin films was demonstrated in operating fuel cells. Optimal sputter-deposition conditions for platinum-ruthenium alloys have been determined. The effect of composition on the performance of Pt-Ru films was studied, and optimal composition has been determined. Novel methods of enhancing surface area and improving porosity have been identified. Co-sputtered ruthenium oxide has been demonstrated not to have any significant beneficial effect on the activity of the catalyst layers. While cost presents a major obstacle to commercialization of DMFCs for mobile applications, this project demonstrates novel means to reduce the catalyst costs in DFMC fuel cells. Efficiency enhancements that are also necessary for DMFCs to be viable will be addressed... 

The mechanical properties of sintered apatites has limited their application to low stress areas in the body. To overcome this difficulty, apatites are applied as coatings on the surface of metallic implants where high loads on the implant are expected. Various coating options are available including thermal spraying, sputter deposition, pulsed laser deposition, sol-gel deposition, electrophoretic coating, electrodeposition, and biomimetic deposition. These are discussed in turn. 

M.R. Hilton and P.D. Fleischauer. Structural Studies of Sputter-Deposited MoSt Solid Lubricant Films. In L.E. Pope, L.L. Fehrenbacher, and W.O. Winer, editors. New Materials Approaches to Tribology Theory and Application. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings, Volume 140, Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh, 1989, p. 227. 

For films sputter deposited from a boron carbide target, k markedly increased at A < 400 nm [55]. This indicates an effect of the incorporated carbon (5-10 at-%, see section 5.5.1) in the films. The cathodoluminescence behavior of hBN and cBN films was investigated by Taylor et al. [80] with respect to possible applications of the large band gap material BN in the deep blue and UV range. 

Wasa K, Hayakawa S (1992) Handbook of sputter deposition technology, principles, technology and applications. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge... 

---