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American Elements specializes in producing high density ultra high purity (99.9% to 99.9999%) sputtering targets and other evaporation materials for all applications using both vacuum melt/casting and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology,as well as physical vapor (PVD) and chemical vapor (CVD) deposition techniques. Sputtering targets are available monoblock or bonded with dimensions and configurations up to 820 mm with hole drill locations and threading, beveling, grooves and backing designed to work with both older sputtering devises as well as the latest processing equipment, such as large area coating and flip-chip applications. Research sized targets are also available as well as custom sizes and alloys. All targets and evaporation materials are analyzed using best demonstrated techniques including X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Evaporation materials are available as pellets, rod, pieces, granules, slugs, lump, Ingot, shot and deposition cones.

DEPOSITION TECHNOLOGY & METHODS

Sputtering Deposition uses a plasma, which is usually formed from a non-reactive gas, to bombard the target material for the thin film and knock the atoms of the target material out of its bulk. The ejected atoms then land on the substrate and form a thin film.  Since the target does not need to be heated, the technique is very flexible for a wide range of applications.  The targets can even be made of compounds or mixtures, not just pure elements. See our Sputtering Target Information Center for a list of available products.

Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) uses pulses of a high-power laser beam to ablate the target material.  The material on the target surface is instantly evaporated and turned into plasma, and it returns back to vapor phase.  Finally, the ablated material then collects and deposits on top of a correctly placed substrate.  This technique has the advatages over the others in that it preserves the stoichiometry of the target on the film formed and the rate of deposition is higher than the others. 

Physical vapor deposition (PVD). PVD refers to the purely physical formation of the thin film on top of the substrate,  there should be no chemical reaction involved in the formation of the thin film.  Typically PVD is done in a low-pressure environment, though there are a number of PVD techniques. Evaporation deposition raises the temperature of material of thin film so its vapor pressure reaches a useful range.  The vapor then moves and deposits on top of the substrate of interest. Electron Beam Evaporation a form of PVD in which the target anode is bombarded with an electron beam given off by a charged tungsten filament under high vacuum. The electrion beam causes atoms from the target material to transform into a gaseous phase, these atoms then return to solid form coating everything in the vacuum chamber with a thin film. It can also be used in conjuction with molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). 

Electron beam evaporation research applications include medical, metallurgical, telecommunication, microelectronics, optical coating, nanotechnology and semiconductor industries. Typical source materials include titanium, platinum, aluminum, aluminum oxide, antimony, barium, bismuth, boron, boron carbide, calcium, cerium, chromium, chromium oxide, cobalt, dysprosium, erbium, gadolinium, hafnium, hafnium oxide, indium, indium tin oxide, iridium, iron, lead, lithium, lithium fluoride, magnesium, magnesium fluroide, magnesium oxide, manganese, molybdenum, neodymium, nickel, nickel-chromium, nickel iron, niobium, palladium, permalloy hymu 80 (Fe-Mn-Mo-Ni), rhenium, rhodium, ruthenium, samarium, scandium, selenium, silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon monoxide, strontium, tantalum, tantalum oxide, tin, tin oxide, titanium, titanium dioxide, titanium monoxide, tungsten, tungsten oxide, vanadium, ytterbium, yttrium, yttrium fluoride, zinc, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, zirconium, zirconium oxide, copper, silver, gold, gold-tin, gold-germanium, and other metals and alloys.

Chemical vapor deposition(CVD) refers to the formation of the thin film on the substrate involves chemical reaction.  Typically, a fluid precursor moves onto the substrate and one or more chemical reactions take place, which forms a layer of the thin film.  Chemical Vapor Deposition generally uses a gas-phase precursor, often a halide or hydride of the element to be deposited.  In the case of metal-organic chemical vapor depsoisition(MOCVD), an organometallic gas is used.  Commercial techniques often use very low pressures of precursor gas.  In the case of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD), which is a special case of MOCVD,  an ionized vapor, or plasma, is used as a precursor.  Commercial PECVD relies on electromagnetic means (electric current or microwave excitation), rather than a chemical reaction, to produce a plasma. MOCVD is currently being used in the manufacturing of graphene, carbon nanotubes, LED, laser-emitting diodes, multijunction solar cell, optoelectronics, microelectronics, semiconductor, phase-change memory, photodectors, and mirco-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS).  Chemical depositon is typically much less directional, or sensitive to geometry, than physical deposition.

APPLICATIONS

Applications for sputtering targets and other evaporation materials have continued to expand. The most recent uses are described below and in the new PBS NOVA series "Making Stuff". When relevant, properties and the latest research is also covered.

Electronics and Semiconductors. The first commercial use for the sputtering target was in semiconductors and electronics for front end and back end packaging, diffusion barriers, compounds, phase change memory, IC interconnects, micro contacts, and in sensors, MEMs and LEDs. Sputtering targets and evaporation materials of copper and copper alloys including copper-nickel, copper-chromium are manufactured for packaging and other applications, as well as, nickel and many nickel alloys including nickel-aluminum, nickel-vanadium, nickel-platinum, nickel-copper and nickel-chromium. Aluminum is available In its elemental form and alloyed with copper and silicon as aluminum-copper, aluminum-silicon and aluminum-copper-silicon. Elemental titanium is available up to 99.999% purity and alloyed in titanium-tungsten. The conductive and solder wetting properties of gold make it an important deposition material, including gold alloys such as gold-tin, gold-antimony, gold-silicon, gold-copper, and gold-germanium. Recent materials include Phase Change Alloys such as germanium-antimony alloyed with tellurium, silver, indium and platinum and transparent conductive oxides (TCO) for light emitting applications such as sensors and light emitting diodes (LED). These include indium-tin oxide (ITO) and zinc oxide doped with aluminum and other elements (ZnO). American Elements also produces ultra high purity sputtering targets and other evaporation materials for electronic applications including hafnium, molybdenum, silver, iridium, rhodium and ruthenium.

Anti-abrasive coatings for Wear Protection. Electroplating of tool, die, drilling and cutting tool active surfaces to protect against wear and extend life has given way in recent years to the deposition of these coating materials as a more cost effective alternative. Typical protective materials using sputtering targets and other evaporation materials include titanium, titanium carbide, silicon carbide, boron carbide, aluminum, nickel, chromium and tungsten carbide.

Magnetic Materials. The use of high strength magnets have found application is numerous industries including automotive, aerospace, biomedical imaging and auditory engineering. sputtering targets and other evaporation materials of these advanced magnetic materials are manufactured by American Elements from samarium cobalt and neodymium iron boron alloy.

Optical and Architectural Glass. The ability of certain elements to selectively absorb and emit highly specific wave length ranges and also reduce glare due to their high refractive index when deposited on a glass substrate resulted in the development of sputtering and evaporation materials of elemental rare earths, such as neodymium and dysprosium and many other optically active and anti-reflective (AR) materials. More recently, architectural glass for residential, commercial and office building applications has benefited from the availability of these same coatings.

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Panels. The three primary solar energy technologies, silicon based, Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) and Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) are layered structures that require sputtering targets and other evaporation materials at several stages including certain transparent conductive oxides (TCO) such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and doped zinc oxide as the top electrode, molybdenum as the back plate, and antimony telluride and zinc telluride in CIS and CIG photovoltaic cells.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. Typical solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) designs contain an electronically conductive low density cathode, a high density, ionically conductive electrolyte and an electronically conductive open air electrode. New technology is being developed for the deposition of these layers. Sputtering targets are produced by American Elements to meet the needs of each of these layers including Perovskite cathode materials including Lanthanum Strontium Manganite (LSM), Lanthanum Strontium Ferrite (LSF), Lanthanum Strontium Cobaltite Ferrite (LSCF), Lanthanum Strontium Chromite (LSC), and Lanthanum Strontium Gallate Magnesite (LSGM) with doping levels and other parameters to customer specifications and ionically conductive electrolytes including YSZ (Yttria stabilized Zirconia), SCZ (Scandium doped Zirconia), Samarium doped Ceria, Gadolinium doped Ceria and Yttrium doped Ceria. These fuel cells materials are marketed under the trademark AE Fuel Cells.

Data Storage. Sputtering targets and other evaporation materials are now essential to the coating and manufacturing of optical storage devices such as CDs and DVDs to provide both wear protection and reflectivity.

For sputtering targets see our Sputtering Target Information Center. For all other evaporation materials see below: