[labnetwork] Sputtering Problems

[Daniel Christensen]

Neil,

A couple of thoughts:

- when you rebuilt the cathode did you change the magnets?  we have 
found in some cathodes, the magnets are exposed to the cooling water 
and degrade over time, changing them can help.  Also check that the 
polarity of the magnets is correct.

- Have you tried to strike the plasma by increasing the pressure for 
a short period of time to get a plasma and then dropping it to the 
normal pressure.

- have you put an ohmmeter from the input cathode wire to the face of 
the cathode...  with bad DC and more reflected on RF maybe its a bad 
connection interior to the cathode, etc.

Good luck.


At 11:04 AM 4/24/2008, Neil Peters wrote:
>Hi
>
>We are having trouble with our Denton Sputter System.  In the past, 
>we were able to use it to sputter metals, Silicon, SiO2, Cu, Nickel 
>and Chromium.  Currently, we are unable to sputter anything using 
>our DC power supply.  The voltage sits around 500V, but no current, 
>and it does not create a plasma, using an Aluminum target.  In 
>addition, we have melted the insulator rings, had them rebuilt and 
>then melted them a second time once they were returned.  We are 
>beating our heads against the wall with this problem.  Since the 
>guns have been rebuilt, we have noticed a higher reflected power for 
>RF (~10-12% for copper targets) and the deposition rate for Silicon 
>has gone way down.
>
>Any advice would be most appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>Neil
>
>
>
>Neil Peters
>Process Lab Engineer
>Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
><http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/cme>http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/cme
>San Jose State University              voice:  (408) 924-3967
>One Washington Square                  fax:    (408) 924-4057
>San Jose, CA 95192-0082
>E-mail: npeters at email.sjsu.edu
>
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Daniel C. Christensen
dan at engr.wisc.edu
Univ of WI-Madison
(608) 262-6877
FAX (608) 265-2614