This course is suitable for all seeking an introduction to Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes and includes detailed descriptions of the hardware, systems, theory, and experimental details related to evaporation, sputtering, arc deposition, laser ablation, etc. This course also includes an introduction to the vacuum technology as relevant to PVD. Thus, it includes an introduction to vacuum science, pumps, vacuum measurement and control instruments, plasma and plasma characterization, etc. This course does not have any pre-requisite but some previous experience with any deposition technology or equipment is helpful.

Physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes are atomistic deposition processes in which material vaporized from a source is transported in the form of a vapor through a vacuum or low-pressure gaseous environment to the substrate, where it condenses and film growth takes place. PVD processes can be used to deposit films of compound materials by the reaction of depositing material with the ambient gas environment or with a co-deposited material. This tutorial will discuss and compare the basic PVD techniques including vacuum evaporation, sputter deposition, arc vapor deposition, pulsed laser deposition, ion beam sputtering and ion plating. Vacuum evaporation uses thermal vaporization as a source of depositing atoms; sputter deposition uses physical sputtering as the vaporizing source; arc vapor deposition uses a high-current, low-voltage arc for vaporization; and ion plating uses concurrent or periodic energetic particle bombardment to modify the film growth. The parameters used for each technique will be discussed along with their advantages, disadvantages, and applications. This is an entry-level tutorial to acquaint the students with various PVD processes used for “surface engineering.”

The day-long tutorial will be conducted in two sessions with the first session primarily dedicated to vacuum technology and instrumentation and the second session focusing on individual PVD processes.

After the completion of this tutorial, the participant will have acquired:

1. Working knowledge of a vacuum system, as pertinent to PVD processes.
2. Understanding of the technology that creates and measures vacuum.
3. Understanding of the various processes that lead to the formation of vapors
4. Understanding of the growth of thin films
5. Understanding of the surfaces involved in thin film growth and how to prepare these surfaces for a successful deposition run.

Topical Outline:

• Introduction: deposition environments (vacuum and plasma), film formation, film structures, reactive deposition, factors affecting film properties
• Vacuum evaporation and vaporization, evaporation and sublimation, deposition chambers, vaporization sources (resistive and e-beam), evaporation materials, fixture design, process parameters, monitoring and control, advantages and disadvantages, applications
• Sputter deposition and physical sputtering, plasmas (dc, rf, magnetron, and pulsed dc), sputtering target configurations, reactive sputter deposition, sputtering materials, process parameters, monitoring and control, advantages and disadvantages, applications
• Arc vapor deposition and vacuum and plasma arcs, properties of arcs, generation and “steering” of arcs, arc sources, reactive arc deposition, process parameters, monitoring and control, advantages and disadvantages, applications
• Ion plating and bombardment effects, bombardment configurations, reactive ion plating, ion plating vaporization sources and evaporation, sputtering and arc process parameters, monitoring and control, advantages and disadvantages, applications
• Ion beam sputtering – role of ions in the overall PVD processes, ion generation and use specifically in the ion beam systems, process geometries and systems.
• Laser ablation – Advantages and disadvantages of using a laser system for ablation and subsequent deposition of materials, process variables, system geometry.
• PVD deposition systems and configurations (batch, load-lock, and in-line), pumping options.