#sputter deposition
Cryopump on a sputter system.
Cryopumps are a common type of high vacuum pump. They operate by condensing or freezing gases in the vacuum chamber onto an array that is typically cooled down to 10-12 kelvin. Compressed helium gas enters a chamber below the condenser array, where a piston (the displacer) allows the gas to expand, removing heat from the system. The piston then pushes the helium out and back into a compressor, and the cycle repeats. The displacer and compressor in a cryopump make a distinctive rhythmic high pitched whistle that is a common sound in clean rooms and condensed matter physics labs.
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A sputter system in our lab.
Sputter deposition is a fabrication technique used to deposit thin films of a particular material onto a sample. The film can then be patterned using lithography into, for example, electrical contacts for your device. It is commonly used in the semiconductor industry to make integrated circuits.
First a gaseous plasma of ions, typically argon, is created in the sputter chamber. Ions in the plasma are then accelerated into a large piece of the material to be deposited, called the target, causing atoms to be ejected from the surface. Atoms that reach the sample or substrate are redeposited, forming a thin film over time.
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