Many friends about the maintenance of the target there are more or less questions, recently there are also many customers consulting about the maintenance of the target related problems, let editor of RSM for us to share about sputtering target maintenance knowledge .
How should sputter targets be maintained?
1、 Target maintenance
In order to avoid short circuit and arcing caused by unclean cavity in the sputtering process, it is necessary to periodically remove the sputters accumulated in the middle and both sides of the sputtering track, which also helps users to continuously sputter at high power density.
2、 Target storage
We recommend that users store the target (whether metal or ceramic) in vacuum packaging, especially the fitting target must be stored in vacuum to prevent the oxidation of the fitting layer from affecting the fitting quality. As for the packaging of metal targets, we suggest that they should be packed in clean plastic bags at least.
3、 Target cleaning
The first step is to clean with a lint free soft cloth soaked in acetone;
The second step is similar to the first step, cleaning with alcohol;
Step 3: clean with deionized water. After cleaning with deionized water, the target is placed in the oven and dried at 100 ℃ for 30 minutes. It is suggested to use “lint free cloth” to clean oxide and ceramic targets.
The fourth step is to wash the target with argon with high pressure and low humidity to remove any impure particles that may cause arc in the sputtering system.
4、 Short circuit and tightness check
After the target is installed, the whole cathode needs to be checked for short circuit and tightness. It is recommended to judge whether there is a short circuit in the cathode by using a resistance meter and a megger. After confirming that there is no short circuit in the cathode, water leakage inspection can be carried out, and water can be introduced into the cathode to determine whether there is water leakage.
5、 Packaging and transportation
All targets are packed in vacuum sealed plastic bags with moisture-proof agent. The outer package is generally wooden box with anti-collision layer around to protect the target and backplane from damage during transportation and storage.
Post time: Jul-15-2022