Boron (B) Sputtering Targets
Purity: 99.9% Size: 4” Thickness: 0.125”
Sputtering is a well-established technique for depositing thin films from diverse materials onto substrates of various shapes and sizes. The process using sputter targets is reproducible and scalable, suitable for small R&D projects as well as medium and large production batches. Chemical reactions may occur on the target surface, in-flight, or on the substrate, depending on process parameters. While the deposition process is complex, experts can achieve precise control over film growth and microstructure.
Applications of Sputtering Targets
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Thin Film Deposition: Material is eroded from the target onto a substrate such as a silicon wafer.
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Semiconductor Etching: Sputter etching provides high anisotropy when selectivity is not critical.
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Analytical Techniques: Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) uses sputtering to measure target composition and detect trace impurities.
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Space Applications: Sputtering occurs naturally in space weathering, altering the physical and chemical properties of airless bodies like asteroids and the Moon.
Boron in Coatings and Thin Films
Boron is widely used in ion implantation and thin film applications:
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Ion-beam doping of semiconductors
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Surface modification through ion implantation
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Synthesis of boron-containing films and coatings (e.g., boron nitride)
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Trench filling in particle detectors
Boron-based coatings enhance surfaces with high hardness, toughness, wear and corrosion resistance, and in some cases, properties comparable to diamond.
Magnetron Sputtering of Boron:
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Planar magnetron targets of boron-containing compounds are used to produce films, where non-boron elements help form the desired boron compound or provide electrical conductivity.
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Pure boron targets are widely used for semiconductor doping and reactive sputtering of boron nitride films in a nitrogen atmosphere.
