What is sputtering equipment? Sputter equipment manufacturer AGUS gives you an explanation as to what the sputtering is like including our brief history.

Founded in 1946, AGUS has been manufacturing and selling marine equipment for the fishing industry for almost half a century, mainly clutch systems for power transmission for fishing boats, hydraulic and fishing equipment.

In 2000, the company began selling its own sputtering equipment and is now expanding its activities, particularly to universities and other research institutes.

In 2011, ROM writing services for general-purpose microcontrollers and general-purpose memories were also started.

Sputtering equipment is vacuum thin-film forming equipment for plating process coatings.

It can be used for a wide range of materials because the object can be treated without exposing it to liquids or gases.

Contents

1 What can sputtering equipment take care of?
2 What types are there? We will introduce seven sputtering systems and their features.

What can sputtering equipment take care of?

Sputtering equipment is a PVD thin film forming system that uses the ‘sputtering phenomenon’, in which Ar gas ionised under a plasma discharge collides with a target at high speed, and the target atoms knocked out by the collision adhere to the opposing substrate.

Sputtering equipment can be used to achieve film deposition on materials such as metals and alloys with high melting points, which are difficult to coat using vacuum evaporation methods.

What types are there? We will introduce seven sputtering systems and their features.

1. SSP1000

Entry-level model for desk top RF sputtering. The direction of deposition can be changed even after installation.

Characteristics.

Φ100 mm film thickness distribution ±5% max. even on desk top model.
Three functions in one unit, allowing you to choose the direction of deposition according to your purpose.
Equipment can be set up by the user.

Uses.

It is used in research and development applications such as metal films, insulating films, conductive films, insulating films, protective films, reflective films, catalysts, coatings, circuits, batteries, MEMS and new materials development.

The chamber section is lightweight at 31 kg because body chamber section machined from the aluminum block,

Depending on how the chamber is placed, the deposition direction can be flexible like

Sputter UP, SIDE and DOWN.

Dimensions.

W608mm×D608mm×H766mm

For more information.

2. SSP2000Plus

Slim tower with 2-way cathode; can be combined with ALD and annealing equipment.

Characteristics.

Single tower type with 2-way cathode
Middle-class model that can be connected to other equipment in the Plus series and is easy to handle for experiments.

Uses.

As it is equipped with a substrate heating mechanism of MAX 300°C, it can be selected as a high-end model of the SSP1000, which does not have a substrate heating mechanism.

Dimensions.

W608mm×D800mm×H1827mm

For more information.

3. SSP2500G

Sputtering equipment developed from customer feedback that allows samples to be loaded and unloaded without exposing them to the air.

Characteristics.

Single-tower targets with 2-way cathode, Standard auto-matcher that allows wafers to be opened in GB, Compatible with fully automatic deposition.

Uses.

A simplified glovebox for both vacuum and gas displacement is included, so deposition with anaerobic targets and substrate samples can be used with no worries.

Dimensions.

W750mm×D1081mm×H1918mm

For more information.

4. SSP3000

This is the highest-end model of sputtering equipment with high performance and a wide variety of options.

Characteristics.

High-performance models with ternary cathodes
Film thickness distribution within ø100 mm ±3% or less
L/L rooms can be installed without changing the external dimensions.

Uses.

It is active in a wide range of fields, from research and development to low-volume production, for metallic films, insulating films, conductive films, insulating films, protective films, reflective films, alloys, catalysts, coatings, circuits, batteries, MEMS and new materials development.

Dimensions.

W1418mm×D840mm×H1728mm

For more information.

5. SSP3000Plus

This high-performance model can be easily connected and expanded to ALD and annealing equipment even after installation.

Characteristics.

High-performance models with ternary cathodes.
Film thickness distribution within ø100 mm ±3% or less.
It can be connected to other equipment in the Plus series.

Uses.

Advanced thin-film manufacturing processes are also possible, such as stacking with ALD equipment, which is achieved by linking with Plus series equipment, and combining with annealing equipment for heat treatment and gas displacement treatment.

Dimensions.

W1308mm×D840mm×H1728mm

For more information.

6. SAN1000

Pressure can be controlled during high-temperature heat treatment (annealing) of substrates and during heat treatment by introducing inert gas.

Characteristics.

Up to 1000 °C uniform even when N2 or Ar gas is introduced.
Rapid heating and rapid cooling without blowing up the substrate.
Compact size for space-saving placement.

Uses.

The SAN1000 table-top annealing and nitriding system can make a heat treatment for substrates up to 4 inches by infrared irradiation in a clean environment in a vacuum or gas atmosphere.

It is also small enough to be installed on a tabletop and is a batch-type system with a water-cooling mechanism for the chamber and a gas flow cooling mechanism for the substrates, enabling substrates to be removed after processing in a short time.

Dimensions.

W582mm×D450mm×H411mm

For more information.

7. SAN2000Plus

It is possible to perform high-temperature heat treatment (annealing) on substrates and heat treatment by introducing reactive gases.

Characteristics.

Heating control function from 200°C to 1000°C.
Plasma processing is possible with models equipped with an RF power supply.
Compatible with sputtering and ALD equipment.

Uses.

The SAN2000Plus annealing system can make a heat treatment for substrates up to 4 inches by infrared irradiation in a clean environment in a vacuum or gas atmosphere.

Furthermore, plasma process technology has been added to the series, which enables the removal of organic and metal films and surface modification of the substrate surface, making it possible to use both the front-end and back-end processes of substrate deposition as a single machine.

The system can be connected to the low-cost STR2000 transfer with frog-leg substrate transfer mechanism even after installation. So it can be easily combined with deposition equipment such as sputtering and evaporation equipment, making it the suitable annealing system for customers who plan to expand in the future.

Dimensions.

W608mm×D460mm×H1827mm

For more information.