Etching by sputtering from an intermetallic target to form negat

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Vacuum arc discharge coating

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204192E, 204298, C23C 1500

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active

041326148

ABSTRACT:
Bombardment some intermetallic compounds above a sufficient target voltage V.sub.o can be used for etching substrates. Etching a substrate located in an evacuated chamber involves bombardment of an intermetallic compound or alloy comprising for example Au, Pt, etc. and a metallic element such as Eu, La, Cs, etc. with ions so that a large flux of negative Au, Pt, etc. ions is produced which etches a substrate located nearby. Such bombardment is achieved by placing an Au, Pt, etc. intermetallic composition target in a sputtering chamber using an argon sputtering gas, located opposite from a substrate. A gold alloy or compound target can be SmAu, EuAu, LaAu, CsAu, etc. The target of Au, Pt, etc. and a rare earth element, etc. is bombarded by sputtering gas atoms excited by RF or D.C. energy, creating negative metal ions by sputtering. Instead of depositing upon the substrate, the negative ions cause a cascade of energetic sputtering gas atoms and metal atoms to etch the substrate surface directly beneath the target as outlined by ground shields. Outside that region negative ion and rare earth metals deposit on the substrate. Bombardment with an ion gun, neutral atoms or energetic particle sources or an ionic molecular source may produce negative ions. A use is ion milling. A target material is useful as a negative ion source of metal B in an intermetallic compound of metals A and B if A has ionization potential I.sub.A and B has electron affinity EA.sub.B such that I.sub.A -EA.sub.B > about 3.4 electron volts or if there is a electronegativity difference .DELTA.X greater than about 2.55.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3573185 (1971-03-01), Jennings et al.
patent: 3573454 (1971-04-01), Andersen et al.
G. C. Nelson, "Search for Preferential Sputtering in Ag/An Alloys," J. Vac. Sci. Tech., vol. 13, pp. 974-975 (1976).
J. J. Hanak et al., "Effect of Secondary Electrons & Negative Ions on Sputtering of Films," J. Vac. Sci. Tech., vol. 13, pp. 406-409 (1976).

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