EM - Introduction to Sputter Targets

ProSciTech is one of the best suppliers of targets ‐ anywhere. We supply high purity sputtering targets, and these are well produced and modestly priced. Available are a wide range of unmounted disks or annular (washer) targets, as well as targets mounted on backing plates, replacing the original target holders.

Often targets are mounted to a backing plate using a conductive glue. Alternatively, if the target is over‐sized, the edge may be formed around the edge of the backing plate ‐ if the target material is soft. If that is your preferred method, please order the target with at least 2mm greater diameter than the backing plate.

Additionally we can source many other sputtering targets in a variety of materials including ceramics, rare earth elements and metal oxides.

Sputter target materials include:

• Tungsten(W)
• Silver (Ag)
• Silver/Copper (Ag/Cu 90:10)
• Titanium (Ti)
• Cerium (Ce)
• Zinc sulphide (ZnS)
• Gold/Palladium (Au/Pd 60:40 or 80:20)
• Zirconium oxide with 10‐15%wt Y2O3
• Chromium (Cr)
• Gold (Au)
• Aluminium (Al)
• Platinum (Pt)
• Iridium (Ir)
• Copper (Cu)
• Iron (Fe)
• Silicone (micro‐crystalline, polycrystalline, n‐type, p‐type, undoped)
  

Metal targets unless otherwise stated are 4N pure (99.99% purity)

Amalgams are more expensive to produce due to the finer coating, it may be better to purchase platinum in lieu of gold/palladium, or iridium in lieu of platinum/palladium.

Gold is most commonly used for metal coatings in electron microscopy. Evaporated or sputtered gold with a thick coating forms islets and these give gold coating at high powers (> x30k) a granular appearance.

Finest, least granular coatings as are required for FESEM are obtained using chromium and iridium. Chromium like iridium is considered 'grain‐free', but since chromium and its coatings readily oxidise, iridium is regarded as the superior high resolution coating material and is also 'harder' (by atomic number) and its coatings should yield higher resolution.

Iridium is hard and brittle and the thinnest practical target material at 0.3mm ‐ they can be more expensive and harder to source. They are also available as 1mm targets.

Please ask for a quotation for your choice of target.