What are Sputtering Targets?

What is the Sputtering target?

Simply put, Sputtering targets are the target materials bombarded by high-speed energetic particles. Sputtering targets are used to create thin films in a technique known as sputter deposition or thin film deposition. Before being broken, the sputtering target is solid. By magnetron sputtering, multi-arc ion plating, or other types of coating systems, the sputtering target is broken up by gaseous ions into tiny particles whiich form a spray and coat on the substrate. Sputtering targets are widely used in high-energy laser weapons. When lasers with different power densities, different output waveforms, and different wavelengths interact with different targets, different killing and destructive effects will be generated. Different target materials (such as aluminum, tantalum, ITO, scandium targets, etc.)  can get different film systems.

According to different applications, sputtering targets are very different in size and shape. The smallest targets can be less than one inch (25.4mm) in diameter, while the largest rectangular targets reach well over 3ft (>1000mm) in length. If the targets are too long, they can be divided into segmented targets and connected by special joints. There are many kinds of target shapes and structures as well. Usually, a sputtering target is either rectangular or circular, while special shapes also can be produced upon customers' request such as sputtering target tubes.

Classification of sputtering targets

Formed by different materials, Sputtering Targets can be classified into metal sputtering targets and ceramic sputtering targets. The metal materials include pure metal (titanium, gold, scandium, tantalum, and so on) and various of alloys (Aluminum scandium, titanium aluminum, and so on). The ceramic materials include ITO, IZO, Oxide target, and so on.

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