[labnetwork] Sputtering targets storage

[Fouad Karouta]

Hi Jing,

Agree with Steve on keeping the targets. Depending on targets some do require to be kept in inert atmosphere. We had a bad experience with a Lanthanum target that was left in original package and not in N2 and after a year it degraded (became powder).

About the used targets you can dispose of them through regular way of getting rid of chemical products (depending on SDS). Of course precious materials can be recycled (I used to remove copper plate from Au and Pt by dipping it a concentrated sulfuric acid that fully consumes the copper).

Best regards,
Fouad Karouta

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From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Paolini, Steven
Sent: Friday, 15 December 2017 8:51 AM
To: Guo, Jing <jguo5 at Central.UH.EDU>; labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] Sputtering targets storage

Jing,
  I see no reason to cover the targets at all. Keep in mind that when you begin the process, you are sputtering onto a shutter which reveals homogeneous material free of oxidation and airborn contaminants. We have always stored them in a plastic food container for general protection from damage and put them in a nitrogen flooded dry box for good measure but I don't believe it makes any difference. Perhaps someone else in the network can attest or disagree with my practice since I'm sure that if there are experts in these sciences, they subscribe.
For the record, I will offer to dispose of all your used silver, gold, platinum, and palladium targets, free of charge :)
Equipment Dood

Steve Paolini
Principal Equipment Engineer
Harvard University Center for Nanoscale Systems
11 Oxford St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
617- 496- 9816
spaolini at cns.fas.harvard.edu<mailto:spaolini at cns.fas.harvard.edu>
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From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Guo, Jing
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2017 12:50 PM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: [labnetwork] Sputtering targets storage

Hi All,

We have a lot sputtering targets for our UHV sputtering system. Right now each target is covered by Aluminum foil stored in a plastic box.
We are wondering whether the Aluminum foil is necessary for all the targets. After several times the foil will become wrinkled and it is kind annoying to cover a target with wrinkled foil.
Do you have any good idea to store those targets? Please advise.
And for those used ones, any good way to dispose them or recycle them?

Thanks.

Best Regards,

Jing

Research Lab Supervisor
Nanofabrication Facility
University of Houston
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