Specific Process Knowledge/Thin film deposition/Deposition of Nickel

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Nickel deposition

Nickel can be deposited by e-beam evaporation or sputtering at DTU Nanolab. For electroplating you will have to contact other institutes at DTU, e.g., DTU Mechanical Engineering.

Some process information is available here for e-beam evaporated films:

• Stress in Wordentec Ni films: study here.

In the chart below you can compare the different deposition equipment:

	E-beam evaporation (E-beam evaporator (Temescal) and E-beam evaporator (10-pockets))	E-beam evaporation (Wordentec)	Sputter deposition (Lesker)	Sputter deposition (Sputter-system Metal-Oxide (PC1) and Sputter-system Metal-Nitride (PC3))
General description	E-beam deposition of Nickel	E-beam deposition of Nickel	Sputter deposition of Nickel	Sputter deposition of Nickel
Pre-clean	Ar ion etch (only in E-beam evaporator Temescal)		RF Ar clean	RF Ar clean
Layer thickness	10 Å to 1 µm *	10 Å to 1 µm *	10 Å to 5000 Å **	10 Å to 5000 Å **
Deposition rate	1-10 Å/s	1-10 Å/s	Depends on process parameters, about 1 Å/s	Depends on process parameters, at least ~ 4 Å/s, see conditions here
Batch size	Up to 4x6" wafers Up to 3x8" wafers (ask for holder) Many smaller pieces	24x2" wafers or 6x4" wafers or 6x6" wafers	Pieces or 1x4" wafer or 1x6" wafer	Up to 10x4" or 6" wafers Many smaller pieces
Allowed materials	Almost any that does not degas at your intended substrate temperature. See also the cross-contamination sheet	Almost any that does not degas. See the cross-contamination sheet.	Almost any that do not degas.	Almost any that does not degas at your intended substrate temperature. See cross contamination sheets for PC1 and PC3
Comment		Stress in Wordentec Ni films: study here.	May use high-strength magnet for deposition.	May use high-strength magnet for deposition

* To deposit a cumulative thickness above 600 nm permission is required from metal@nanolab.dtu.dk to ensure enough material is present in the machine

** To deposit a cumulative thickness above 200 nm permission is required from metal@nanolab.dtu.dk to ensure enough material is present in the machine

Quality control of e-beam evaporated Ni films

Quality control (QC) for Wordentec

Nickel deposition is tested occasionally, around 1-2 times per year. LabManager links require login. QC procedure for Wordentec in LabManager The newest QC data for Wordentec in LabManager QC Recipe: Process 5 Deposition rate 10 Å/s Thickness 100 nm Pressure Below 4*10-6 mbar QC limits Wordentec Measured average thickness (Å) ± 10 % Lowest accepted deposition rate (Å/s) 6 Å/s Thickness is measured in 5 points with a stylus profiler.

Quality control (QC) for the Temescal

Nickel deposition is tested occasionally, around 1 time per year. LabManager links require login. QC procedure for the Temescal in LabManager The newest QC data for the Temescal in LabManager QC Recipe: Standard recipes/Ni Deposition rate 10 Å/s Thickness 100 nm Pressure Below 1*10-6 mbar QC limits Temescal Deposition rate deviation ± 20 % Measured average thickness ± 10 % Thickness deviation across a 4" wafer ± 5 % Thickness is measured in 5 points with a stylus profiler. Additionally we examine the newly deposited films for particles using the particle scanner (if available, otherwise we use the Jenatech microscope in darkfield mode) and we monitor the sheet resistance of the Ti/Au films.