Design and characterization of a compact two-target ultrahigh vacuum magnetron sputter deposition system: Application to the growth of epitaxial Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N alloys and TiN/Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N superlattices
- Department of Materials Science, the Coordinated Science Laboratory, and the Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)
- Thin Film Division, Physics Department, Linkoeping University, S-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden)
The design, fabrication, and operation of a compact, portable, ultrahigh vacuum, two-target magnetron sputter deposition system, consisting of independently pumped sample-exchange and deposition chambers, is described. The target-to-substrate distance is 12.5 cm and, for alloy or superlattice growth, the substrate is typically placed at 45[degree] to both target surfaces. A novel shutter system composed of a hollow cylinder with a rectangular opening is mounted on a rotary feedthrough driven by a precision direct-current motor to controllably expose the substrate to sputter-ejected flux from one or both targets. Film thickness and composition uniformity are achieved through the use of selectively transmitting shields which are first coated with target material to prevent film contamination. Automatic mass-flow controllers, responding to a differential feedback signal from a capacitance manometer, are used to maintain the pressure constant during deposition. The film growth temperature can be varied from ambient to 1000 [degree]C while adjusting the negative substrate bias from 0 to 500 V. In initial experiments using this system, epitaxial metastable Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N alloys and TiN/Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]] Al[sub [ital x]]N superlattices were grown on MgO(001) and polycrystalline Ti[sub 1[minus][ital x]]Al[sub [ital x]]N alloys were deposited on oxidized Si(001) substrates.
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-91ER45439
- OSTI ID:
- 6950344
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology, A (Vacuum, Surfaces and Films); (United States), Vol. 11:1; ISSN 0734-2101
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of high-flux low-energy (20--100 eV) ion irradiation during deposition on the microstructure and preferred orientation of Ti[sub 0. 5]Al[sub 0. 5]N alloys grown by ultra-high-vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering
The influence of the growth rate on the preferred orientation of magnetron-sputtered Ti-Al-N thin films studied by in situ x-ray diffraction
Related Subjects
ALUMINIUM NITRIDES
SPUTTERING
TITANIUM NITRIDES
MAGNETRONS
MICROSTRUCTURE
SUPERLATTICES
THIN FILMS
ULTRAHIGH VACUUM
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
360201* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Preparation & Fabrication