Discovery

Denton Vacuum has provided some of the largest early magnetron sputtering systems for large area glass coating in response to increasing demand for high-quality functional films in many diverse market sectors. We were among the first to use sputtering for biological sample preparation by eliminating energetic electrons to keep them from damaging fragile organic material, like in our Desk V “gold standard” SEM preparation series.

Continuing this tradition of innovation, Denton offers flexible sputtering platforms that can be configured with multiple magnetron sources. Our systems are configurable to support a variety of sputtering approaches. Conductive target materials, such as metals, are typically sputtered with DC power supplies. Magnetic materials, such as nickel or iron, are DC sputtered with enhanced magnet packs. Insulating target materials are reactively sputtered with either RF or Pulsed DC power delivery systems. A fully integrated Plasma Emission Monitor (PEM) system was developed to enable high-rate, controlled reactive sputtering. Denton has ongoing internal R&D programs to help advance the state-of-the art in both metallic and reactive sputtering.

Planar Cathode Placement – Rectangular or Round

In a planar cathode configuration, the cathode is mounted directly above the substrate. With this configuration, you can gain tight uniformity on one side of the substrate during sputtering for properties such as film thickness, sheet resistance and refractive index. It’s the ideal configuration for applications where co-sputtering is not a requirement. This cathode set-up also offers improved yield, good lift-off capability and a high deposition rate. Round cathodes are used in single substrate systems, and rectangular cathodes are used with in-line systems. You can read more about the benefits here.

Confocal Cathodes

In a confocal cathode configuration, multiple cathodes are positioned confocally to the substrate. This is the preferred method for applications requiring co-sputtering of multiple materials during thin film deposition. It allows you to deposit multiple materials without breaking vacuum. Confocal cathodes can also help you minimize target cost and optimize material transfer efficiency. It’s an ideal method for applications where high throughput or uniformity is not a necessity. You can read more about the benefits here.