How should the sputtering target material be maintained?

How should the sputtering target material be maintained?
Sputtering targets of conservation can not be ignored, because the target cleanliness for coating quality sputtering process of formation, as well as the quality of products, qualified or has a vital role to remove those in the target residue on the can Reducing nodules on the surface of the target can also improve the utilization and production efficiency of the target, and the cleaning of the target is also inseparable from the later maintenance.

Sputtering target maintenance

In order to avoid short circuits and arcing caused by unclean cavities during the sputtering process, it is necessary to remove the accumulated sputtering materials deposited in the middle and both sides of the sputtering track in stages. It is also beneficial for users to sputter continuously at the maximum power density.

Sputtering target storage

We recommend that the user of the sputtered material (whether metal or ceramic) is stored in a vacuum pack, especially bonded target material must be stored under vacuum conditions, to avoid the adhesive layer oxidation, influence the quality of the target bonding for the metal target For packaging, we recommend at least a clean plastic bag.

Sputtering target cleaning

  • Step 1, clean the sputtering target with a soft lint-free cloth soaked in acetone.
  • Step 2, similar to the first step, clean the target with alcohol.
  • Step 3, washed with the deionized water target material. After the material, the target was placed in an oven and dried at 100 C for 30 min.
  • step 4, high pressure, low moisture targets flushed with argon to remove any possible Impure particles that cause arcs in the sputtering system.

Short circuit and tightness check

After the target is installed, the entire cathode needs to be short-circuited and sealed. It is recommended to use a resistance meter to shake the watch to determine whether the cathode is short-circuited. After confirming that the cathode is not short-circuited, you can perform a water leakage check and pass water into the cathode to determine whether there is water leakage.

Packaging and shipping

All targets are packaged in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag with a moisture-proof layer. The outer packaging is generally a wooden box with an anti-collision layer around it to protect the target and backplane from damage during transportation and storage.