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For magnetic materials the standard recommendation is 0.125 thick target with a spacer ring, and mount directly to the gun without a backing plate or Cu mesh, however I have been able to sputter 1/4" thick magnetic targets as long as they are directly mounted. <br>
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Also, did you remove the center magnet stack from the gun and replace with a Fe slug prior to loading your target?</div>
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-Alex</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Alex Dixon, Ph.D. (He/Him)</span></div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Jing Guo <jg78@rice.edu><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 13, 2025 9:18 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Mohammad Mohtasim Hamid Pial <mpial001@fiu.edu><br>
<b>Cc:</b> labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu <labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [EXTERNAL] Re: [labnetwork] Issue Striking Plasma for NiFe Sputtering on Angstrom Nexdep PVD System – Need Guidance</font>
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<span style="color:#9C6500; font-weight:bold">CAUTION:</span> This email originated from outside of the Colorado School of Mines organization. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.</div>
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<div>Hi Pial,
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<div>Usually for magnetic target, it cannot be a thick one (typically 1-3mm). Otherwise the magnetic field is shunting which will result in plasma strike failure. When I install the magnetic target on AJA tool, there is no bonding Cu backing plate, the Fe or
Ni target will be installed directly onto the sputter gun. I think your target thickness is fine, but the backing plate is a problem. You should check with Angstrom sputter engineers about their system setup. </div>
<div> Another concern is the striking pressure, usually I use a high pressure to strike (20-30mTorr), then reduce the pressure to 3-5mTorr for deposition. </div>
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<div>I feel the bonded target thickness is the biggest problem. </div>
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<div>Best,</div>
<div>Jing </div>
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<div>---------------------------------------<br>
Jing Guo Ph.D.<br>
Cleanroom Manager/Research Scientist<br>
SEA Cleanroom (SST 017)<br>
Rice University<br>
Houston, TX <br>
jeanne.guo@rice.edu<br>
713-348-8227</div>
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<div>On Oct 13, 2025, at 3:32 PM, Mohammad Mohtasim Hamid Pial <mpial001@fiu.edu> wrote:</div>
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Dear All,</div>
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I am attempting to deposit NiFe using a magnetron sputtering setup (Angstrom Engineering – Nexdep PVD platform). Below are my target specifications and sputtering parameters:</div>
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Target: NiFe (2" dia × 1 mm, 4N purity) bonded to a 1/8" Cu backing plate</div>
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Sputtering Method: DC Magnetron Sputtering</div>
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DC Power: 100–150 W</div>
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Base Pressure: ~10⁻⁶ Torr</div>
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Ar Gas Flow Rate: 20–30 sccm</div>
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Working Pressure: 3–5 mTorr</div>
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However, I am unable to ignite the plasma. The DC power supply setpoint keeps blinking and the power stalls around 15 W before dropping </div>
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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?</div>
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I would greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations from anyone who has sputtered NiFe or similar high-permeability alloys on this platform.</div>
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Thank you in advance!<br>
Pial</div>
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