Substrates for Thin Film Deposition

BF33 Glass Substrate Used for Thin Film Deposition

A Ph.D student studying medecine and tech requested a quote for the following.

We need inexpensive Borofloat 33 wafers for thin film deposition. Can you send us a quote for 100mm 500um DSP, Qty 25?

Reference #91234 for specs and pricing.

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Silver Coated Silicon Wafers

A graduate student requested a quote for the following.

I am inquiring the silver coated silicon wafers. We need 100nm thick Ag film on Silicon, or thicker,  Any silicon
substrate is Ok. We hope to purchase some silicon wafers with one side Ag thin film deposition, any silicon substrate is OK for us,size, dopant,or orientation is not a issue, any deposition process is also OK, could you offer us information for such wafer?

Reference # for specs and pricing.

 

What is Thin Film Deposition?

Thin film deposition is a process used to create a thin layer of material—typically ranging from a few nanometers to several micrometers—onto a substrate or surface. This layer, or "thin film," can alter the surface properties of the substrate, such as its optical, electrical, or chemical characteristics, and is widely used in applications like microelectronics, optics, and coatings for various devices.

There are two main categories of thin film deposition:

1. Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD):

   • This method involves physically transferring atoms or molecules from a source to the substrate in a vacuum environment.
   • Common PVD techniques include sputtering (where atoms are ejected from a solid target by high-energy ions and deposited onto the substrate) and thermal evaporation (where the material is vaporized by heating and then condenses on the substrate).
   • PVD methods are often used for metal coatings, hard coatings, and other films requiring a high degree of purity and control.

2. Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD):

   • In CVD, chemical reactions occur on the substrate’s surface, causing a thin film to form from gaseous reactants.
   • This process can occur at elevated temperatures and often requires a reaction between precursor gases.
   • CVD can produce conformal coatings that uniformly cover complex 3D structures, which makes it ideal for microelectronics and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems).

Each method has variations and specific uses, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), a type of CVD that allows for atomic-level control of film thickness.

What Substrates Are Used For Thin Film Deposition?

Substrates for thin film deposition vary widely depending on the intended application, desired film properties, and compatibility with the deposition method. Some commonly used substrates include:

1. Silicon (Si):

   • Silicon wafers are a primary substrate in the semiconductor industry due to their excellent mechanical and electrical properties.
   • They serve as the base for electronic devices, integrated circuits, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
   • Silicon substrates can be modified with oxides or other coatings to enhance specific properties, such as for better wetting in hydrophobic applications or significant contrast under an optical microscope.
2. Glass:
   • Glass is used in applications where optical transparency is important, such as in display technologies, photovoltaics, and coatings for optics.
   • It is often coated with thin films to enhance optical, conductive, or anti-reflective properties.
3. Quartz (SiO2):
   • Quartz substrates are highly pure and have excellent thermal and optical stability, making them ideal for applications in high-temperature environments and UV-visible light optics.
   • They’re often used in research for deposition studies due to their non-reactive surface.
4. Metal Substrates:
   • Metals like aluminum, stainless steel, and copper can be used for thin film deposition in applications requiring good thermal and electrical conductivity.
   • They’re common in reflective coatings, electrodes, and as back plates in solar cells.
5. Polymers:
   • Polymer substrates, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyimide, are flexible and lightweight, making them ideal for flexible electronics, displays, and biomedical devices.
   • However, polymers often require special surface treatments to enhance adhesion with deposited films.
6. Ceramics (e.g., Alumina, Zirconia):
   • Ceramic substrates offer high thermal stability and electrical insulation, suitable for applications in high-temperature or chemically aggressive environments.
   • They are often used in electronic packaging, sensors, and as substrates for microelectronic devices.
7. Sapphire (Al2O3):
   • Sapphire substrates are hard, transparent, and chemically stable, making them ideal for optoelectronic devices, LED production, and other high-temperature applications.
   • They’re also commonly used in optical coatings due to their transparency in a wide spectral range.
8. Compound Semiconductors (e.g., GaAs, SiC):
   • Compound semiconductor substrates are essential in high-speed electronics, optoelectronics, and power devices due to their specific electronic and optical properties.
   • Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and silicon carbide (SiC) are examples that provide unique benefits in applications like LEDs, laser diodes, and high-frequency devices.
9. Oxide-Coated Wafers:
   • Wafers coated with an oxide layer, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2) on silicon, are used to enhance the surface’s electrical insulation, optical properties, or chemical compatibility.
   • Oxide layers are also useful in applications needing strong contrast under optical microscopy.

The choice of substrate affects the thin film’s structure, adhesion, and overall performance in the final application, so it’s crucial to select the right substrate based on the specific requirements of the film and process.

Thin Film Deposition For The Hard Drive Industry

A senior buyer from a large semiconductor company requested a quote for the following.

Our company produces sputtering targets for the hard disk drive industry and supports the Large Area
Coating industry as well as Semiconductor industry.

I see on your website that you may be able to do backside metallization (thin film deposition)

A few questions I'd like to know if this is an opportunity:

1. How many layers can you deposit?
2. What are some of the main alloys you are depositing?
3. What is your largest size as well as your smallest?
4. Are you limited to any form factors, if so which?
5. It looks like you may be mainly R&D - can you support production and if so what kind of volumes can you support?

Reference #96924 for specs and pricing.

Inexpensive Silicon Wafers Used to Qualify Thin Film Deposition Thicknesses

An associate professor in physics requested a quote for the following.

I'm looking for a small cheap wafer, preferably not doped (undoped), with a very good surface finish in the neighborhood of 5 angstroms or less. Do you have any recommendations? These wafers will be used as Test Specimens for qualifying thin film deposition thicknesses  that we sputter onto the smooth surface, they will then be discarded after the fact. I've been told that silicon wafers usually have a very good surface finish & people often use these as an inexpensive substrate for testing purposes. What do you think?

Reference #122274 for specs and pricing.

P-Type Silicon Substate For Thin Film Deposition

A university mechanical engineering student requested a quote for the following.

I have one question about Si wafer. As you know, I have used P-type Si wafer as substrate for thin
film deposition. Recently, I used it as target but it is too thin. So do you have thicker P-type wafer? I don't need thermal oxide film on wafer.

Reference #127775 for specs and pricing.

Thick Quartz Substrate for Thin Film Deposition

A university physics professor requeted a quote for the following.

I will appreciate it if you could quote the price of te following items.

1. Quartz disks ( about 1.5 mm thick, about 10 mm diameter).
2. Sapphire disks, c-cut (about the same size or the size you have in stock).

We want 100 fuzed flat quartz disks about 20 mm in diameter and about 1.5 mm thick for thin film deposition.

UniversityWafer, Inc. Quoted:

Inquiry No	Crystal Material	Diameter	Thickness	Surface Finish
127768	Fused Silica(JGS2)	20mm	1.50mm	DSP

Reference #127768 for specs and pricing.

What Intrinsic Silicon Wafers are Used For Hard Masks?

A photoelectron researcher requested a quote for the following.

I do not require a specific dopant, and I would like the highest resistivity possible. If you have a stock of intrinsic wafers, that would be fine. These will be used for hard masks for thin film deposition.

UniversityWafer, Inc. Quoted

Item #783
100mm P/B <100> Hig Resistivity 500um DSP

Reference #130919 for specs and pricing.

What Epi-Ready Silicon Wafers are Used For Thin Film Deposition?

A Associate Professor requested help with the following.

I want the Si to be epi-ready for our thin film deposition, clean and no oxide on surface and only need single side polished. I think UW783 maybe suitable. And I also want to know the detailed spec. for your prime and test grade wafer (TTV,bow,etc), what is the main difference of this two type?

Reference #131287 for specs and pricing.

6" Silicon Wafers Used As A Substrate For Thin Film Deposition (ALD)

A

I am looking for single-polished 6” wafers to use as substrates for thin film deposition (ALD). We will then dice the coated wafers and soak the samples in phosphate-buffered saline (salt water) at 37C for weeks to months. The pH will start at 7.3, but may change substantially if the films release acidic or basic degradation products.

I don’t actually care about the electrical behavior of the wafers, but I want to make sure that they will not release any problematic compounds into our soak solution, and that the wafers themselves won’t dissolve quickly under these conditions. I definitely don’t want anything doped with arsenic or other particularly toxic chemicals that I will then have to dispose of. I could definitely use undoped wafers but would like to know the price difference relative to reasonable doped wafers.

Question:

Can you suggest some wafers that would work for me and give me a quote? We probably want about ten wafers, but I don’t know if you have minimum orders.

Answer:

We recommend you the intrinsic float zone crystal silicon for your case.

Our Data: 4", resistivity: 1 ~ 2K ohm-cm, Single Side Polish

Reference #133053  for specs and pricing.

 

Metals Used for Thin Film Deposition and Their Applications

A variety of metals are used in thin film deposition, each chosen for specific applications based on properties like conductivity, reflectivity, durability, and chemical resistance. Here’s a list of commonly used metals and their typical applications:

1. Gold (Au):

   • Applications: Electronics, semiconductors, sensors, and MEMS devices.
   • Properties: Excellent electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility.
   • Uses: Ideal for contact layers, interconnects in microelectronics, bonding pads, and biomedical devices due to its stable, non-reactive nature.

2. Silver (Ag):

   • Applications: Mirrors, solar cells, RF/microwave applications, and antimicrobial coatings.
   • Properties: Highest electrical and thermal conductivity among metals.
   • Uses: Preferred for reflective coatings in optics, as well as for conductive paths in high-frequency electronics. Its antimicrobial properties also make it suitable for biomedical applications.

3. Aluminum (Al):

   • Applications: Semiconductor devices, OLEDs, and reflective coatings.
   • Properties: Good conductivity, lightweight, and cost-effective.
   • Uses: Widely used in interconnects for microelectronics, mirror coatings, and as a barrier layer due to its excellent reflectivity and affordability.

4. Copper (Cu):

   • Applications: Microelectronics, interconnects, and solar cells.
   • Properties: Excellent electrical conductivity and moderate cost.
   • Uses: Commonly used as a conductive layer in ICs, wiring in microelectronics, and electrodes in photovoltaic devices.

5. Titanium (Ti):

   • Applications: Microelectronics, medical implants, and MEMS.
   • Properties: High strength, good biocompatibility, and excellent adhesion properties.
   • Uses: Often used as an adhesion layer under gold or other metals in electronics. It’s also used in biomedical devices for its non-reactivity and durability.

6. Chromium (Cr):

   • Applications: Masking layers, adhesion layers, and reflective coatings.
   • Properties: Excellent adhesion, hardness, and corrosion resistance.
   • Uses: Often applied as an adhesion layer in microfabrication or as a reflective coating due to its hardness and durability.

7. Nickel (Ni):

   • Applications: Magnetic thin films, corrosion-resistant coatings, and sensors.
   • Properties: Magnetic properties, good wear resistance, and excellent adhesion.
   • Uses: Used in magnetic storage devices, as a diffusion barrier, and as a protective layer due to its resistance to corrosion and oxidation.

8. Platinum (Pt):

   • Applications: Catalysts, electrodes, and sensors.
   • Properties: High chemical stability, catalytic properties, and good electrical conductivity.
   • Uses: Common in catalytic converters, electrodes in electrochemical cells, and gas sensors due to its chemical inertness and catalytic efficiency.

9. Molybdenum (Mo):

   • Applications: Thin film transistors (TFTs), solar cells, and X-ray targets.
   • Properties: High melting point, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity.
   • Uses: Often used as an electrode material in solar cells and TFTs and as an adhesion layer or buffer layer for other metals.

10. Tungsten (W):

    • Applications: High-temperature coatings, X-ray anodes, and microelectronics.
    • Properties: High melting point, excellent thermal stability.
    • Uses: Ideal for high-temperature applications, often used in electrodes and as a diffusion barrier due to its thermal stability and density.

11. Cobalt (Co):

    • Applications: Magnetic storage devices, hard coatings, and microelectronics.
    • Properties: Magnetic properties and good corrosion resistance.
    • Uses: Frequently used in magnetic thin films and hard coatings for wear resistance, as well as in battery electrodes.

12. Palladium (Pd):

    • Applications: Hydrogen storage, sensors, and catalysis.
    • Properties: High catalytic activity, good electrical conductivity, and hydrogen absorption capacity.
    • Uses: Used in hydrogen sensors, fuel cells, and catalytic converters due to its hydrogen-sorption capabilities.

13. Tantalum (Ta):

    • Applications: Microelectronics, barrier layers, and capacitors.
    • Properties: High melting point, corrosion resistance.
    • Uses: Commonly used as a diffusion barrier in semiconductor devices and as an electrode material in capacitors due to its stability and high capacitance.

14. Ruthenium (Ru):

    • Applications: Hard drives, chip interconnects, and catalysts.
    • Properties: High chemical stability, excellent conductivity.
    • Uses: Used in magnetic data storage, as a barrier layer in copper interconnects, and as a catalyst in various chemical processes.

15. Iron (Fe):

    • Applications: Magnetic storage, spintronic devices, and sensors.
    • Properties: Magnetic properties, cost-effective.
    • Uses: Iron is a primary component in magnetic thin films for data storage and sensor technologies.

These metals are selected for thin film applications based on the specific properties needed for each use, such as reflectivity for optical coatings, conductivity for microelectronics, or catalytic activity for sensors and fuel cells.