[labnetwork] Issue Striking Plasma for NiFe Sputtering on Angstrom Nexdep PVD System – Need Guidance

[Johnson, Michael W]

I’ve run NiFe on AJA Orion tool. No backing plate. 1/4” thick with no copper screen. AJA has a dummy replacement for the center magnet in the magnetron head to be used with magnetic targets. This compensates for the magnetic field of the target.
As another said, if the target is too thick, you could be shorting to the outer assembly. Check with a multi meter.

If you have RF substrate cleaning, use that plasma as a helper plasma to strike.

Angstrom engineers are really good. I would definitely talk to them about it. They should be able to point you in the correct direction.

-Michael.
Tulane TINI


________________________________
From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Philipp Altpeter <philipp.altpeter at lmu.de>
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 5:07 PM
To: Mohammad Mohtasim Hamid Pial <mpial001 at fiu.edu>
Cc: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] Issue Striking Plasma for NiFe Sputtering on Angstrom Nexdep PVD System – Need Guidance


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Hello Pial,

Sounds like a problem of the thickness of the target. Typically a cylindrical shield surrounds the target and must be electrically isolated from it. Make sure the cylinder does not contact the target - you can verify proper isolation with a multimeter.

If the cylinder is a screw-on cap, place a temporary spacer (for example, a small piece of Teflon sheet) between the cap edge and the target when tightening to ensure a sufficient gap. Remove the spacer after you’ve adjusted the fit.

I hope it helps.

Philipp

14.10.2025 04:34:37 Mohammad Mohtasim Hamid Pial <mpial001 at fiu.edu>:

Dear All,

I am attempting to deposit NiFe using a magnetron sputtering setup (Angstrom Engineering – Nexdep PVD platform). Below are my target specifications and sputtering parameters:

Target: NiFe (2" dia × 1 mm, 4N purity) bonded to a 1/8" Cu backing plate
Sputtering Method: DC Magnetron Sputtering
DC Power: 100–150 W
Base Pressure: ~10⁻⁶ Torr
Ar Gas Flow Rate: 20–30 sccm
Working Pressure: 3–5 mTorr

However, I am unable to ignite the plasma. The DC power supply setpoint keeps blinking and the power stalls around 15 W before dropping

Could this issue be due to insufficient magnetic field strength (not penetrating the thick target/Cu backing), or is the target too thick for effective plasma ignition? Do I need a thinner target or additional magnetic confinement?

I would greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations from anyone who has sputtered NiFe or similar high-permeability alloys on this platform.

Thank you in advance!
Pial


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