Power Configuration Technology Provides a High Deposition Rate And Low Substrate Heating

FORT COLLINS, Colo.—Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. announced Dynamic Reverse Pulsing (DRP), a power configuration technology that is marked by providing a higher deposition rate, lower substrate heating and higher power output on magnetrons. DRP’s unique capabilities transform the paradigm in reactive sputtering and allow users to enable new processes and reap substantial cost savings.

Thin film coating professionals struggle with a variety of issues in reactive sputtering. These include the need to reduce process temperature for heat sensitive substrates; power level limitations due to heat, material and current; and anodes that “disappear” in high deposition rate configurations (DC). DRP eliminates those pain points by lowering the heat and increasing the deposition rate, requiring fewer chambers, and increasing throughput of existing coaters without the expensive addition of cathodes, lids and zones.

Recent data gathered from an Advanced Energy customer fully outlines the strong value in DRP. With an initial power system configuration of 40 kHz AC, the customer reported a 4 kW of total power, a deposition thickness of 230 A and a heat load of 310C / 583K. However, when the power system was reconfigured to 40 kHz DRP, the customer reported 4 kW of total power per DMS, a deposition thickness of 380A and a heat load of 230C / 503K. The new configuration translates into a 65 percent higher deposition rate and a 14 percent reduction in heat, resulting in a powerful improvement to processes and economic benefits.

This use case is just one of multiple that outlines benefits in using a DRP configured power system: one customer secured two times the deposition rate, and another customer secured a higher deposition rate at a lower heat load. Additionally, in high volume consumer device coating, utilization of DRP-configured coaters can offer significant savings in capital investment, reducing the overall number of coaters needed for high volume production.

For more information, go to www.advanced-energy.com.