The disadvantages of sputter deposition can be summarized as follows:
1) Low deposition rates: Sputtering rates are generally lower compared to other deposition methods such as thermal evaporation. This means that it takes longer to deposit a desired thickness of film.
2) Non-uniform deposition: In many configurations, the deposition flux distribution is non-uniform, which means that the film thickness may vary across the substrate. This requires moving fixturing to obtain films of uniform thickness.
3) Expensive targets and poor material use: Sputtering targets are often expensive, and the material use may be inefficient. This can lead to higher costs and waste of resources.
4) Heat generation and removal: Most of the energy incident on the target during sputtering becomes heat, which needs to be effectively removed. This can be challenging and may require the use of a cooling system, which decreases production rate and increases energetic costs.
5) Contamination: In some cases, gaseous contaminants can be "activated" in the plasma during sputtering, leading to film contamination. This can be more problematic than in vacuum evaporation.
6) Gas composition control: In reactive sputter deposition, the gas composition needs to be carefully controlled to prevent poisoning of the sputtering target. This adds complexity to the process and requires precise control.
7) Film thickness control: While sputtering allows for high deposition rates without a limit on thickness, it does not allow for accurate control of film thickness. The film thickness is primarily controlled by fixing the operating parameters and adjusting the deposition time.
8) Difficulties in lift-off structuring: The sputtering process can be more difficult to combine with a lift-off technique for structuring the film. The diffuse transport characteristic of sputtering makes it impossible to fully restrict where the atoms go, which can lead to contamination problems.
9) Introduction of impurities: Sputtering has a greater tendency to introduce impurities in the substrate compared to deposition by evaporation. This is because sputtering operates under a lesser vacuum range.
10) Degradation of organic solids: Some materials, such as organic solids, are easily degraded by ionic bombardment during sputtering. This limits the use of sputtering for depositing certain types of materials.
Overall, while sputter deposition offers advantages such as better film densification, control of film properties, and the ability to deposit films on large wafers, it also has several disadvantages that need to be considered when choosing a deposition method.
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