Physical vapor deposition (PVD) is a process used to deposit thin films of materials onto a substrate through the transition of materials from their condensed to vapor phases. This process involves physically depositing atoms, ions, or molecules of a coating species onto a substrate, typically resulting in coatings of pure metals, metallic alloys, and ceramics with a thickness usually in the range of 1 to 10µm.
The PVD process can be achieved through various thin film deposition techniques, all of which have in common that the atoms are removed from a source by physical means. One such technique is sputter deposition, where the atoms are released from a solid or liquid source through momentum exchange. There are three main types of PVD undertaken in a chamber containing a controlled atmosphere at reduced pressure (0.1 to 1 N/m²), and these techniques can be used for the direct deposition of a material or for 'reactive' use in which chemical reaction occurs in the vapor/plasma phase between atoms of the coating material and 'reactive' gases.
In all PVD processes, the material from which the thin film will be produced is initially in solid form and normally located somewhere in the process chamber, e.g. at the target in sputtering. Various methods are used to vaporize the material (for example, using a short, powerful laser pulse, with an arc, or by ion or electron bombardment) which then condenses in the form of a thin film on the substrate surface. The physical properties of the deposited material are dependent on the vapor pressure of the precursor materials.
In VLSI fabrication, the most widely-used method of accomplishing PVD of thin films is by sputtering. The PVD process by sputtering involves the following sequence of steps: 1) the material to be deposited is converted into vapor by physical means; 2) the vapor is transported across a region of low pressure from its source to the substrate; and 3) the vapor undergoes condensation on the substrate to form the thin film.
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