sputteröinnissä

Sputteröinnissä, known in English as sputtering, is a physical vapor deposition process used to deposit thin films onto a substrate. It involves bombarding a target material with energetic ions, typically from a plasma. When these ions strike the target, they transfer momentum to the target atoms, causing them to be ejected or "sputtered" from the surface. These sputtered atoms then travel through a vacuum or low-pressure gas environment and condense onto a nearby substrate, forming a thin film.

The sputtering process can be performed in a vacuum chamber under controlled conditions. A gas, often an inert gas like argon, is ionized to create a plasma. The target material is placed opposite the substrate, and a high voltage is applied to the target, making it negatively charged. This attracts the positively charged ions from the plasma, accelerating them towards the target. The energy of the incident ions determines the sputtering yield, which is the number of target atoms ejected per incident ion.

Sputtering is a versatile technique used in various applications. It is widely employed in the semiconductor industry for depositing conductive layers, insulating films, and protective coatings on microelectronic devices. It is also used in optics for creating anti-reflective coatings and mirrors, in metallurgy for creating wear-resistant surfaces, and in research for developing novel materials. The ability to control film thickness, composition, and properties makes sputtering a valuable tool in materials science and engineering. Variations of sputtering exist, such as magnetron sputtering and reactive sputtering, which enhance deposition rates or allow for the deposition of compound films.