Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Chromium

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Chromium deposition

Chromium can be deposited by e-beam evaporation and sputter deposition. It should be noted that in e-beam evaporation, chromium does not melt but evaporates directly from the solid phase. In the chart below you can compare the different deposition equipment. Further down you will find the results of some studies on chromium deposition.

	E-beam evaporation (Temescal)	E-beam evaporation and sputter deposition (Wordentec)	E-beam evaporation (Physimeca)	Sputter deposition (Lesker sputterer)
General description	E-beam deposition of Chromium	E-beam and sputter deposition of Chromium	E-beam deposition of Chromium	Sputter deposition of Chromium
Pre-clean	Ar ion bombardment	RF Ar clean		RF Ar clean
Layer thickness	10Å to 1µm*	10Å to 1µm*	10Å to 1000 Å	at least up to 200 nm
Deposition rate	0.5Å/s to 10Å/s	10Å/s to 15Å/s (e-beam) Sputtering: Depends on process parameters. See here and process log.	10Å/s	Depends on process parameters. See process log.
Batch size	4x6" wafers or 3x8" wafers (ask for holder) Many smaller pieces	24x2" wafers or 6x4" wafers or 6x6" wafers	1x 2" wafer or 1x 4" wafers or Several smaller pieces	1x6" wafers Smaller pieces/wafers
Allowed substrates	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	III-V materials Silicon wafers Quartz wafers Pyrex wafers	Silicon wafers and almost any other
Allowed materials	Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar Metals See also the cross-contamination sheet	Silicon Silicon oxide Silicon nitride Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar SU-8	Silicon oxide Silicon (oxy)nitride Photoresist PMMA Mylar	almost any
Comment	Takes approx. 20 min to pump down	Takes approx. 1 hour to pump down

* For thicknesses above 600 nm, request permission from metal@danchip.dtu.dk to ensure there is enough material.

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

Stress in sputtered Cr films - Extremely high tensile stress in Cr films deposited at high temperature