Sputtering Target Erosion Remediation

To correct thickness uniformity in sputtered thin-film materials we can adopt any one, or a combination, of the following techniques: 1) Reposition the source;  2) Adjust the source tilt; 3) Install correction masks; and 4) Terrace the workpieces (when coating small parts). 

Except for the source tilt, these techniques are applicable also to evaporation-mode PVD, which are explored in the case studies for V-Grade 5.  Here we focus our attention to the problem encountered in the previous case (Case S2): the deteriorating thickness uniformity as the target gets more and more eroded. 

Employing method 1 and 2 can be a viable solution. V-Grade 5S can help you quickly determine how to adjust the three geometric parameters, h, D and alpha, to regain the thickness uniformity. For some chambers, however, the position and tilt of a cathode can be difficult to adjust. In such a situation, deploying changeable correction mask(s) can be more convenient.V-Grade 5S allows you to manually fit correction masks (up to 4 of them) via virtual coating processes. There is also an automated routine that optimizes correction masks with user-defined constraints.