AJA International ATC Series sputtering systems are designed to seamlessly integrate HiPIMS technology, giving materials scientists numerous options for advanced thin film development. The ATC Series can support up to 13 guns in combinations of confocal, direct, and off-axis sputtering geometries for exploring large material spaces and for completing devices with a selection of capping and electrical lead options. The guns feature integral gas injection rings for local process gas delivery. This allows great freedom in exploring composition space and complex device architectures. Magnetrons are available for both high vacuum (Stiletto Series) and ultra-high vacuum (A300 Series) applications. Our guns magnet arrays are modular and can be exchanged in the field, allowing the user to switch between balanced, unbalanced, and magnetic material modes depending on the application. The substrate holder is highly configurable, supporting sample sizes ranging from small coupons to full wafers up to 12” (ATC) diameter with excellent film thickness uniformity. Available functionalities include high-temperature substrate heating (up to 800–1,000 °C), cryogenic or water-based cooling (LN₂ or H₂O), azimuthal rotation for uniform film growth, and motorized Z-axis motion. RF/DC substrate biasing provides advanced process control that can be synchronized with the HiPIMS pulsing, in order to further control the deposited ion energy. The system supports up to four mass flow controllers (MFCs) for precise regulation of process gases. Typical gases used in epitaxial deposition include Ar, O₂, and N₂, allowing for a wide range of inert and reactive sputtering processes. A gas ring can be provided at the substrate for reactive deposition of oxides and nitrides. Other process gases are supported, as well, per customer request. Recipe-driven automation ensures accurate, repeatable process execution. The software makes it simple to create and store up to 100+ recipes for depositing layer stacks such as superlattices. It is easy to write extensive recipes, and the Excel spreadsheet layout allows line by line layer stacking and review of recipes for accuracy and data extraction if needed. Recipe operation automates the entire deposition process, with auto-abort in case setpoints fail to be reached. Our AJA Excel Spread Sheet Software Emulator makes possible remote recipe creation offline from the system for later import and execution. AJA International manufactures many of the components in the systems. This ensures compatibility and quality, while controlling tool costs. This also speeds up service and provides long service life for the systems. DC, pulsed DC, RF and HiPIMS supplies can all be configured into the system. AJA’s standard Phase II-Au control system will accommodate up to (5) DC power supplies with integral 4-way switchboxes, (4) RF power supplies, and (1) 4-way RF switchbox. High-stability power supplies provide precise, repeatable deposition. Multiple HiPIMS supplies can run simultaneously in unipolar or bipolar mode, with the option of adding a synchronization unit to time the pulses for simultaneous or fixed delay firing.
