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.


E-beam evaporation (Alcatel) E-beam evaporation (Wordentec) 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 Sputter deposition of Nickel Electroplating of Nickel
Pre-clean RF Ar clean RF Ar clean RF Ar clean None
Layer thickness 10Å to 5000 Å* 10Å to 1 µm* 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 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
  • 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
  • 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 Sample must be compatible with plating bath. Seed metal necessary.

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