Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Chromium

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Chromium deposition

Chromium can be deposited by e-beam evaporation. It should be noted that Chromium does not melt but evaporates directly from the solid phase. Chromium can be sputter deposited aswell. In the chart below you can compare the different deposition equipment.

	E-beam evaporation (Alcatel)	E-beam evaporation (Wordentec)	E-beam evaporation (PVD co-sputter/evaporation)	E-beam evaporation (Physimeca)	Sputter deposition (Wordentec)
General description	E-beam deposition of Chromium	E-beam deposition of Chromium	E-beam deposition of Chromium	E-beam deposition of Chromium	Sputter deposition of Chromium
Pre-clean	RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean		RF Ar clean
Layer thickness	10Å to 1µm*	10Å to 1µm*	10Å to 1000 Å	10Å to 1000 Å	.
Deposition rate	2Å/s to 15Å/s	10Å/s to 15Å/s	About 1Å/s	10Å/s	Depending on process parameters, see here.
Batch size	Up to 1x4" wafers smaller pieces	24x2" wafers or 6x4" wafers or 6x6" wafers	12x2" wafers or 12x4" wafers or 4x6" wafers	1x 2" wafer or 1x 4" wafers or Several smaller pieces	24x2" wafers or 6x4" wafers or 6x6" wafers
Allowed substrates	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	III-V materials Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers
Allowed materials	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8 Metals	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon nitride Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon nitride Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8	Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon nitride Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8
Comment			Only very thin layers (up to 100nm).

* For thicknesses above 200 nm permission from ThinFilm group is required.

Studies of Cr deposition processes

Uniformity of Cr layers - Uniformity of Cr layers deposited with different methods and settings

Sputtering of Cr in Wordentec - Settings and deposition rates