SC7640 Auto/Manual High Resolution Sputter Coater Operating Manual. Sputter Coater Operation. The equipment has been designed as free-standing bench mounted. Desk Sputter Coater DST2-T DST2T High Vacuum. • Manual or automatic Timed and. Information of the last 300 coating programs can also be saved in the.

Fully automatic, high vacuum sputter coating The Safematic CCU-010 HV sets new standards for high vacuum sputter coating and is suitable for both SEM and TEM sputtering applications with oxidising and non-oxidising metals - plus for thin film applications. The CCU-010 HV has impressive high vacuum performance which helps ensure coating quality that is optimal for both W-SEM and FE-SEM applications. A patented, plug-in-style sputtering head module delivers unsurpased ease of use and servicing - with a carbon evaporation module available as an option. The glass vacuum chamber is 120mm in diameter and includes a handy vertical graduated scale to help set the height of the specimen stage. An implosion guard with safety monitoring is also fitted. There are specimen stage options to suit most applications and and extensive range of other options - including a wide range of sputtering targets and upgrades to high vacuum and to carbon evaporation.

What is Sputter Coating? When a glow discharge is formed between a Cathode and Anode using a suitable gas (typically Argon), and Cathode target material (commonly Gold) the bombardment of the target with gas ions will erode this target material, this process being termed ‘Sputtering’.

The resulting omni-directional deposition of sputtered atoms will form an even coating on the surface of the specimen. It will inhibit charging, reduce thermal damage, and improve secondary electron emission which are beneficial for Scanning Electron Microscopy.

The Cathode target material is commonly Gold. However, to achieve finer grain size, and thinner continuous coatings, it is advantageous to use cathode target materials such as Chromium. Andrew Loomis Pdf Books.

To achieve sputtering with this target material requires vacuums somewhat better than those achievable with a Rotary Vacuum Pump. Introduction When a target is bombarded with fast heavy particles, erosion of the target material occurs.

The process, when occurring in the conditions of a gaseous glow discharge between an anode and cathode is termed sputtering. Enhancement of this process for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) sample coating is obtained by the choice of a suitable ionization gas and target material. Sputtered metal coatings offer the following benefits for SEM samples: • Reduced microscope beam damage. • Increased thermal conduction.

• Reduced sample charging (increased conduction). • Improved secondary electron emission • Reduced beam penetration with improved edge resolution • Protects beam sensitive specimens Increase in electrical conductivity of a sample is probably the single most common requirement for SEM, though all factors come into play with FEG SEM. Low voltage SEM operation can still benefit in many cases from a thin coating. The development of Sputter Coater systems embodies significant empirical design, however, an understanding in classical terms of glow discharge characteristics enhance such designs and may assist in the comparison of differing systems. Gaseous Condition If an inert gas such as argon is included in a cathode gas tube, the free ions and electrons are attracted to opposite electrodes and a small current is produced. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Circuit to determine the current-voltage characteristics of a cold cathode gas tube A = Ammeter V = Voltmeter As voltage is increased some ionization is produced by collision of electrons with gas atoms, named the 'Townsend' discharge. When the voltage across the tube exceeds the breakdown potential, a self sustaining glow discharge occurs - characterized by a luminous glow. The current density and voltage drop remains relatively constant, the increase in total current being satisfied by the area of the glow increasing. Increasing the supply voltage increases current density and voltage drop, this is the abnormal glow region. Further increase in supply voltage concentrates the glow into a cathode spot and arc discharge is apparent. The operating parameters of sputter coaters are within the glow discharge regions of the characteristic described.