Nitride Laminate Crystallinity via HiPIMS Sputtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in fabricating nitride thin films on polymer substrates is the restricted film deposition temperature and contamination from residual water and inert gas atoms, which affects the crystallinity and orientation of the nitride layer.
Innovation Solution
The use of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) to activate nitrogen atoms, suppressing contamination from water and inert gas atoms, results in a nitride laminate with improved crystallinity and orientation, characterized by an atomic proportion of oxygen ≤2.5% and hydrogen ≤2.0%, and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the X-ray rocking curve ≤8 degrees.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional sputtering methods (DC or RF magnetron sputtering) are used to form nitride thin films on polymer substrates, then the deposition process can be performed at lower temperatures suitable for polymer substrates, but the resulting films contain contamination from water molecules and inert gas atoms that capture into the film, degrading crystallinity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the sputtering mode from conventional DC or RF magnetron sputtering to high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). This parameter change enables higher ionization degree of inert gas atoms, which suppresses the capture of water molecules and inert gas atoms into the film, thereby improving crystallinity while maintaining low deposition temperature suitable for polymer substrates
Solution Approach 2:
HiPIMS employs periodic pulsed power supply to the magnetron, creating periodic bursts of high-power plasma. This periodic action increases the ionization degree of inert gas atoms during the pulse periods, enhancing the suppression of contamination capture and improving the crystallinity of the deposited nitride layer
2Ease of manufacture
If heating and evacuation are performed to remove moisture from the chamber prior to sputtering, then some water removal is achieved, but water cannot be completely removed and hydrogen and oxygen atoms from residual water are still captured into the film during sputtering
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the sputtering parameters to HiPIMS mode, which creates a high ionization degree environment. This parameter change enables the process to tolerate residual moisture in the chamber while still achieving low contamination levels, as the highly ionized inert gas atoms suppress the capture of H and O atoms from residual water molecules
3Productivity
If high power RF sputtering is used to increase deposition rate, then argon atoms from inert gas are captured into the film, further degrading the crystallinity and increasing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from RF sputtering to HiPIMS, fundamentally changing the plasma generation mechanism. This parameter change achieves high deposition rates through increased ionization degree while simultaneously suppressing the capture of argon atoms into the film, thereby maintaining both high productivity and high crystallinity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves a nitride laminate with enhanced crystallinity and reduced contamination, enabling the formation of high-quality nitride layers on polymer substrates at lower temperatures, suitable for applications in flexible light emitting devices, piezoelectric devices, and frequency filters.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetron is provided in the target electrode to accelerate the charged particles, thereby promoting the ionization of the inert gas and improving the film deposition rate
Implementation Method 2
Inert gas ions are accelerated and collide with a metal target such as aluminum target or a metallic gallium target at a high speed. The metal ions ejected from the target react with nitrogen gas
Implementation Method 3
a magnetron is provided in the target electrode to accelerate the charged particles, thereby promoting the ionization of the inert gas
Data Source
AI summary
A nitride laminate, in which contamination in the nitride layer is suppressed and crystallinity is improved, is provided. A nitride laminate includes a polymer substrate, and a nitride layer provided on at least one of the surfaces of the polymer substrate. The nitride layer has a wurtzite crystal structure. The atomic proportion of oxygen in the nitride layer is 2.5 atm. % or less, and the atomic proportion of hydrogen in the nitride layer is 2.0 atm. % or less. The FWHM of the X-ray rocking curve of the nitride layer is 8 degree or less.