Tungsten (W) Sputtering Targets
Purity: 99.95%, Size: 8”, Thickness: 0.250”
Sputtering is a well-established technique used to deposit thin films from a wide range of materials onto substrates of various shapes and sizes.
The process using sputter targets is repeatable and can be scaled from small research and development applications to larger production requirements.
The process with sputter targets can also be adapted for production batches involving medium to large substrate areas. Depending on process parameters,
chemical reactions may occur on the target surface, during particle flight, or directly on the substrate. Although sputter deposition involves many parameters,
this complexity enables experts to maintain significant control over film growth and microstructure.
Applications of Sputtering Targets
Sputtering targets are used for film deposition. Deposition using sputter targets is a method of creating thin films by sputtering,
which erodes material from a “target” source onto a “substrate,” such as a silicon wafer.
Semiconductor sputtering targets are also used for etching the target. Sputter etching is preferred when a high degree of etching anisotropy
is required and selectivity is not a primary concern.
Sputter targets are further used for analytical purposes by removing surface material through etching.
An example is secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), where the target sample is sputtered at a controlled rate. As sputtering occurs, the concentration
and identity of emitted atoms are analyzed via mass spectrometry. Through the use of sputtering targets, the composition of the target material can be determined,
and even extremely low impurity concentrations can be detected.
Sputtering targets also have applications in space. Sputtering is one of the mechanisms involved in space weathering, a process that alters the physical
and chemical characteristics of airless bodies such as asteroids and the Moon.
