Thin Layer Deposition

厚度在纳米到几微米范围内的薄层是现代微纳系统的组成部分。它们在成品的MEMS中产生了几种功能。这些层可以用作接触面、导电路径、钝化层或扩散阻挡层。此外，它们在MEMS器件的处理过程中充当硬掩模或牺牲层。大多数标准化工艺，如光刻剥离工艺、湿法化学和干法蚀刻工艺，允许在微米到纳米的横向范围内形成这些层的结构。溅射沉积是一种通用的沉积薄层的标准方法。等离子体中产生的离子被加速到目标材料上，因此侵蚀了目标材料的表面。从目标开始，产生粒子流，目标材料随后凝结为晶片上的生长层。层的性质主要由粒子的动能决定，因此决定于表面的扩散长度。因此，在沉积过程中，各种参数可以影响性能。这里应该提到高频场的叠加、磁源(磁控管)的使用和偏置的应用。最后但并非最不重要的一点是，要沉积的材料种类繁多(金属、半导体、电介质)，这使得溅射沉积成为生产微纳系统的基本过程。通过考虑沉积过程中的反应过程，这种选择可以进一步扩大。作为茨维考应用科学大学高科技中心的一部分，一个拥有680平方米ISO 4级和5级无尘室的综合实验室正在建设中。这个洁净室的概念包括跨学科的研究和教学，重点是微系统技术和纳米技术，有两个学院参与。溅射工具在这些研究领域的研究和开发的封闭过程链中发挥着关键作用。除了将该工具用于半导体器件开发的常规任务(如金属化)外，它还提供了继续和强化现有研究领域并从根本上增加新方面的机会。

Thin layers with thicknesses in the range of nanometres up to a few micrometres are an integral component of modern micro and nano systems. They incur several functions within the finished MEMS. The layers can serve as contact surfaces, conducting paths, passivation layers or diffusion barriers. Furthermore, they serve as hard masks or as sacrificial layers within the processing of the MEMS device. Mostly standardized processes such as photolithography lift-off processes, wet chemical and dry etching processes allow the structuring of those layers in the lateral range of micrometres down to nanometres. A versatile standard method of depositing thin layers is the sputter deposition. Ions generated in a plasma are accelerated to the target material and therefor erode its surface. Starting from the target, a particle stream is created, the target material subsequently condenses as a growing layer on the wafer. The layer properties are mainly determined by the kinetic energy of the particles and thus the diffusion length on the surface. Accordingly, the properties can be influenced by a variety of parameters during the deposition. Here the superposition of a high-frequency field, the use of magnetic sources (magnetron) and the application of a bias should be mentioned. Last but not least, the wide range of possible materials to be deposited (metals, semiconductors, dielectrics) makes sputter deposition a fundamental process of the production of micro- and nanosystems. This selection can be further expanded by the consideration of reactive processes during deposition. As part of the high-tech centre of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau, a laboratory complex with 680 square meters of ISO class 4 and 5 clean rooms is being built. The concept of this cleanroom includes the interdisciplinary research and teaching with a focus on microsystems technology and nanotechnology with the participation of two faculties. The sputtering tool plays a key role within in the closed process chain of research and development in these research fields. In addition to the use of the tool for routine tasks of the semiconductor device development such as metallization, it also offers the opportunity to continue and intensify existing fields of research and add fundamentally new aspects.