Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Nickel

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Nickel deposition

Nickel can be deposited by e-beam evaporation or electroplating. In the chart below you can compare the different deposition equipment.

• Electroplating of nickel

	E-beam evaporation (Alcatel)	E-beam evaporation (Wordentec)	E-beam evaporation (PVD co-sputter/evaporation)	E-beam evaporation (Physimeca)	Sputter deposition (Lesker)	Electroplating (Electroplating-Ni)
General description	E-beam deposition of Nickel	E-beam deposition of Nickel	E-beam deposition of Nickel	E-beam deposition of Nickel	Sputter deposition of Nickel	Electroplating of Nickel
Pre-clean	RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean		RF Ar clean	None
Layer thickness	10Å to 5000 Å*	10Å to 1 µm*	10Å to 1000 Å	10Å to 2000 Å	10Å to 2000 Å	A few µm to 1400 µm
Deposition rate	2Å/s to 15Å/s	10Å/s to 15Å/s	About 1Å/s	1 to 10Å/s	Depends on process parameters. About 1 Å/s	About 10 Å/s to 250 Å/s
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	Pieces or 1x4" wafer or 1x6" wafer	1x2" wafer or 1x4" wafer or 1x6" wafer
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 oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8 Metals	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist Metals	Base materials: Silicon Polymers with Tg > 65°C Cross-linked or hard baked resists supported by one of the above two materials Seed metals: NiV (75 - 100 nm recommended) Ti (~5 nm) + Au (75-100 nm recommended) Cr (~5 nm) + Au (75-100 nm recommended) TiW Cr
Comment	Thicknesses above 2000 Å requires special permission	Stress in Wordentec Ni films: study here. Thicknesses above 2000 Å requires special permission	Only very thin layers (up to 100nm).			Sample must be compatible with plating bath. Seed metal necessary.

* To deposit layers thicker then 2000 Å permission is required (contact Thin film group)

Stress in Nickel films

• Stress in Wordentec Ni films: study here.