Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃) Sputtering Targets
Purity: 99.99% Size: 6” Thickness: 0.125”
Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) sputtering targets are used in high-precision thin-film deposition across a wide range of advanced research and industrial applications. Sputtering provides a stable, repeatable process that can be scaled from laboratory-level R&D to medium- and large-area production. Depending on process parameters, chemical reactions may occur on the target surface, during particle transport, or on the substrate. These adjustable variables make sputtering a sophisticated yet highly controllable technique for tailoring thin-film growth and microstructure.
Applications of Sputtering Targets
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Thin-film deposition: Material is eroded from the sputtering target and deposited onto substrates such as silicon wafers.
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Semiconductor etching: Used where highly anisotropic etching is required without strict selectivity constraints.
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Surface analysis: In techniques such as SIMS, the target is sputtered at a constant rate while emitted ions are analyzed to determine composition and detect trace impurities.
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Space science: Sputtering plays a role in space weathering processes that alter the surfaces of airless bodies like asteroids and the Moon.
Properties and Advantages of Al₂O₃
Aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) is a durable compound of aluminum and oxygen. It is widely used in manufacturing due to:
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High hardness (ideal for abrasives)
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Very high melting point (excellent refractory behavior)
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Chemical inertness
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Strong mechanical properties
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Optical transparency
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High abrasion and corrosion resistance
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Insulating and dielectric properties
Thin films produced using Al₂O₃ sputtering targets exhibit these superior characteristics, though final properties depend on variables such as deposition rate, target-to-substrate spacing, reactive gas pressure, and sputtering environment.
Al₂O₃ Thin-Film Applications
Aluminum oxide thin films are used across diverse fields, including:
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Optoelectronics
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Tribology
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Sensor technology
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Nanolithography
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Protective coatings
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Diffusion barriers
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Electronic seals
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Dielectric layers
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Optical coatings
These films can be fabricated using magnetron sputtering, ALD, e-beam evaporation, spray pyrolysis, and aluminum oxidation, among other techniques.
Summary
Al₂O₃ offers exceptional mechanical strength, chemical stability, high dielectric performance, and resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Because of these advantages, aluminum oxide sputtering targets are widely used in both mechanical and microelectronic research for producing durable, high-quality thin films suitable for advanced functional applications.
