Mike Meyer, Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., Fort Collins, CO
The drive to ever-greater quality, throughput and yield has an impact on many areas of the coating process related to power delivery, power management and power analysis. Here, we take a look at three of the most important areas, namely cathode conditioning, power delivery configuration and choice of AC/sine wave or bipolar pulse dual-magnetron sputtering techniques. Cathode conditioning topics will include: potential pitting and nodule growth problems that occur when failing to condition a cathode appropriately; how power supply performance, power control and arc management are critical for controlling the conditioning process while preventing damage to the target; and how software can be used to provide a smart analysis of cathode performance and enable the development of highly customized cathode conditioning and burn-in procedures. Power configuration will look at how dynamic reverse power (DRP) techniques can be used to deliver higher deposition rates and lower substrate heating and to create opportunities to add more materials to a coating line. Finally, we will consider the benefits of switching from an AC to a bipolar approach – including flexibility, sensitivity to arc management and the opportunity to improve deposition rates by operating at lower frequencies. Methods for reducing the challenges of crazing in bipolar environments will also be introduced.