Technology

Magnetron sputtering

Magnetron sputtering is a widely used PVD technique where a high electrical voltage is applied to a cathode, usually called target, in the presence of a strong magnetic field, creating a plasma around it. This plasma contains positively charged ions, often argon ions, which bombard the negatively charged target, causing atoms to be ejected, or “sputtered”, from the target surface. The sputtered atoms travel through the vacuum chamber and condense onto the substrate, forming a very precise coating.

The term “magnetron” refers to the use of strong magnets, placed behind the target, to enhance the sputtering process.

Magnetron sputtering can be combined with adding one or multiple reactive process gases into vacuum chamber, where sputtered atoms and atoms from the gas can combine on the substrates surface to form ceramic coatings.

Key features and benefits of magnetron sputtering

Limitations

• Similar to other PVD methods, magnetron sputtering is a line-of-sight process, which can limit the ability to coat complex or three-dimensional surfaces uniformly.
• Sputtering is a low energy process, involving mainly neutral atoms carrying low energy. Sometimes elevated substrate temperatures or special PVD techniques, like pulsed sputtering to increase ionization, are required to achieve the ideal coating microstructure and coating performance.