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Processes

Ion Beam Deposition

Ion Beam Deposition, the sputtering of target material onto a substrate, achieves more precise control of contamination, temperature, and co-deposited materials than other methods. For a wide range of deposition rates, the directional ion beam attains virtually contaminant-free deposition. Plasma being contained within the ion source discharge chamber minimizes temperature increases at the substrate surface. The ability to cool IBD targets greatly increases the variety of possible deposition materials, such as metals, ceramics, alloys, and powders. And, with additional targets and ion sources, an ion beam deposition system will co-deposit materials to create alloys, compounds, or, with a series of targets/ion sources, multilayer stacks. An additional ion source will allow for Ion Assisted Deposition.

 

Ion Assisted Deposition

In Ion Assisted Deposition, an ion beam directly bombards a substrate during evaporative or sputter deposition. Facilities using e-beam, thermal evaporation, ion beam deposition, or magnetron systems can greatly improve thin film properties by incorporating a gridded or gridless ion source for IAD into their system. This technique achieves better film adhesion, improved step coverage, higher density, reduced residual stress, and, for optical thin films, increased refractive index/lower absorption for optical applications. Compound films can be deposited with the use of a reactive gas (such as nitrogen or oxygen) in the ion assist source.