Sputtering Overview

ESPI offers sputtering targets made up of many different element’s and/or alloys as well as in numerous other forms and purities; up to 6N (99.9999%), including:

Ribbon

Pieces

Discs

Chips

Wire

Ingots

Rod

Ampoules

Powder

Custom Fabricated Parts

Shot

Foil

Pellets

Sheet

All forms can be manufactured to custom specifications. Or, for those time critical applications where standard sizes will meet project requirements, take advantage of ESPI’s Ready-To-Ship (RTS) program. ESPI stocks pre-fabricated items in foil and sheet that are available for same day shipment.* To view the Ready to Ship products, click here. For a quotation, call, e-mail or click "Chat Now" to the right for immediate assistance.

* Order must be received by 1:00 pm Pacific

SPUTTERING OVERVIEW

Sputtering is a vacuum evaporation process which physically removes portions of a coating material called the target, and deposits a thin, firmly bonded film onto an adjacent surface called the substrate. The process occurs by bombarding the surface of the sputtering target with gaseous ions under high voltage acceleration. As these ions collide with the target, atoms or occasionally entire molecules of the target material are ejected and propelled against the substrate, where they form a very tight bond. The resulting coating is held firmly to the surface by mechanical forces, although, in some cases, and alloy or chemical bond may result.

Sputtering has proven to be a successful method of coating a variety of substrates with thin films of electrically conductive or non-conductive materials. One of the most striking characteristics of sputtering is its universality. Since the coating material is passed into the vapor phase by a mechanical rather than a chemical or thermal process, virtually any material can be deposited. Direct current is used to sputter conductive materials, while radio frequency is used for non-conductive materials. The range of sputtering application is large. Current applications of great importance include thin films of:      

              * Magnetic materials for data storage tapes. Typical materials are Co-Ni, Tb-Fe and Co-Ni-Cr.

              * Optical materials for lens characteristics. Typical materials are CeO2, MgO and MgF2.

              * Lubricant materials for reducing friction. Typical materials are MoS2, WS2, and PTFE.

              * Wear-resistant materials to lengthen cutting tool life. Typical materials are TiN, TiC, and ZrB2.

              * Metallizing materials for microcircuits. Typical materials are Al, W-Ti, Al-Si and Al-Cu.

              * Transparent conducting materials. The most typical material is xLn2O3 -ySnO2.

              * Thin-film resistors. Typical materials are Ni-Cr, Cr-Si and Cr- SiO.

              * Amorphous bubble memory devices.
                Typical materials are Gd-Co. Lu3Fe5O12, and Gd3Ga5O12.           

              * Microcircuit mask blanks. The most typical material is Cr.

Additional applications include oxide microcircuit insulation layers, amorphous optical films for integrated optics devices, piezoelectric transducers, photoconductors, luminescent films for display devices, optically addressed memory devices, video discs, solid electrolytes and thin film lasers.

Workmanship Standards

Where not specified in the purchase order or contract, ESPI shall apply standard workmanship tolerances. Rounds (rod, wire, etc): +/-10% for diameter and length. Profiles (plate, sheet, foil, etc): +/- 10% for thickness, width and length. Other non-machined solids (powder, shot, pieces, etc): +/-10% for weight, +/-25% for size.

Purity

Material purities indicate a minimum allowable purity. Purities may be higher than stated in the material description based on availability.  Rare Earth purities are based upon rare earth contaminants.  Metal purities are reported on a metals basis; zirconium purity excludes Hf.  Purities of fabricated metal products are generally based on ingot chemistry.

Quality Assurance

ESPI's comprehensive line of high-purity metals, alloys, and chemical compounds are distributed to scientists worldwide. Trust has been earned by our customers in maintaining a strong commitment to quality and excellence. All materials listed in the catalog are thoroughly tested by our quality control department. The figures given as typical analyses have been compiled through an average of previous batches.  They are provided as a guide to the nature and extent of the impurities which may be expected and may vary from batch to batch. Actual material analyses will be provided free of charge upon request for those items which have had analysis work conducted in the normal course of production.  For those items for which no analysis has been conducted, an analysis will be provided for a charge.

Home Page Content Under Periodic Table

ALLOYS

Click on the Alloy to go to the Online Catalog page.

 

Welcome to

ESPI was incorporated in 1950 with a mission to provide a competitive source for high purity metals, metal compounds and alloys. We are a valuable resource for virtually all major universities worldwide, global corporate R&D laboratories, thousands of domestic and international manufacturing companies and all U.S. government research laboratories. ESPI offers unique advantages often unavailable from larger organizations with no minimum order size & all business hour calls are handled by a competent sales representative. Automated answering systems and voice mail are not an option at ESPI.

Located within our fabrication facility is the melting department, forging & shaping areas, and the rod & wire, and sheet & foil departments providing the following manufacturing capabilities:

  • Casting of pure metals and alloys
  • Vacuum arc melting
  • Induction melting
  • Rod and wire drawing/extrusion
  • Sheet, foil and ribbon rolling
  • CNC milling and machining

Tel: 541-488-8311 - Email: sales@espimetals.com - or click the "Live Help/Chat Now" icon, upper right.

 

FORMS

ESPI produces and sells 68 elements and dozens of alloys in various forms for your custom needs. Click on the forms below to be directed to detailed information on manufacturing.

 

 

At We Keep Good Company


Aerospace and Defense
Northrop Grumman, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Lockheed-Martin, Hughes, Boeing, General Dynamics, Aerojet, Litton, General Electric


Medical Instruments & Technology
Cintron, Hologic/Lorad, Varian, Siemens Medical, St Jude Medical, ArthroCare, GE Medical, Harvard Medical School, City of Hope Medical Center, American Medical Systems, Cedars Sinai Medical Center


International
Atomic Energy of Canada, CNRS, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, INRS, Alberta Research Council, National Research Council of Canada, UNAM, CISRO, CERN


Education
Stanford, UCLA, Harvard, Georgia Institute of Technology, Caltech, Johns Hopkins University, University of Arizonia, Penn State, University of Michigan, Princeton, Yale, University of Wollongong, University of Tokoyo, University of Toronto, Tulane, University of New South Wales, Max-Planck Institute, University of Freiburg


Government Research Labs
JPL, Los Alamos National Lab, Battelle Pacific NW National Lab, US Department of Energy, Argonne National Lab, Brookhaven National Lab, Naval Oceans Systems Center, US Air Force, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, NASA


Green Energy
Origin Energy Solar, First Solar, Schott Solar, SunPower Corporation, Nanosolar, Inc.