Sputtering: What is it and how does sputter deposition work?

[@thuanbamlungbguanmei3785]

Mind Blowing Technique indeed I am taking a course in Nanotechnology and your video helps

[@parthadeb5604]

Can you specify where are you taking the course of nanoscience ?

[@Paperbutton9]

pretty neat! thank you for sharing

[@BBonBon]

Argon is a noble gas so how can it be made into an ion?

[@korvustechnology]

Good question. If the energy is high enough, even a stable noble gas can be ionised and its electrons removed from the outer shell creating a sea of positive argon ions and free electrons - this is necessary for our sputtering system to work!

[@BBonBon]

@@korvustechnology Oh I see! Thank you for your reply!

[@Kim_jong_un_the_real_one]

Being noble means it is immune to chemical reactions but it can be ionised by electric field or radiations

[@kamrulhussein5811]

I have a question. When sputtering a certain material on to a substrate, how thick can the material become? For example, can the substrate be resputtered over and over again with say platinum microparticles until the platinum layer becomes 3mm+ thick?

[@korvustechnology]

Great question, Kamrul. The thickness of your sputtered layer during a single cycle is only limited by the amount of material you are able to fit onto your sputtering cathode (or "source"). A typical maximum thickness would be in the region of 10 microns per sputtering source. So in theory, you could make layers as thick as you wanted as long as you kept replacing your material and ran multiple sputtering cycles, but "thin-films" typically range from a few nanometres to a few microns.

[@kamrulhussein5811]

@@korvustechnology Thanks for the answer.

[@ralphmueller3725]

I am curious if a system like this could be used with something like Bismuth?

[@korvustechnology]

Hi Ralph, bismuth on its own has a high resistivity and low melting point ~ 410°C so sputtering is not ideal. However, it is commonly used for bismuth alloys such as bismuth oxide and fluoride. Hope this helps!

[@footstoolofgodflatearth2933]

@@korvustechnology Why is Bismuth not ideal? What is the significance of it's high resistivity and low melting point to Sputtering? But could you use it to sputter onto a substrate? What problems would you encounter? what would be the best deposition technique for Bismuth?

[@WabuhWabuh]

what if sputtering is done in a vacuum? isn't it just ionization & no collision?

[@mherna4115]

I believe there are a few free electron in the chamber. There is no absolute vacuum. You just need a few Watts of power to knock off some of the electrons from the Argon atoms which creates a chain reaction. Once you stabilize the plasma you can increase the Watts from your DC generator to induce more sputtering (more deposition). Though, if you have too many electrons colliding your sputtering starts going all over the chamber including the walls which is not good.

[@videos40058]

I was just thinking to build my self one or just buy it from Amazon, but then i realized i am just dreaming......

[@rominagarciamunoz9598]

If you dreaming, I can create it. ⚡🤟🏼