ARGUS 54 Optical Sputter Coater Vacuum Process Technology

ARGUS 54 - Optical Sputter Coater Vacuum Process Technology LLC Dr. Keqi Zhang & Ralph Faber May 1, 2013

Motivations: § Offer a deposition tool for optical coating industry that combines the advantages of both e-beam evaporation (large area, fast rate) and IBS deposition (stable process, higher film quality). Approaches: § Plasma enhanced pulsed DC magnetron sputtering § Basic concept is based on a 54 -inch chamber with a planetary system that contains six 16 -inch planets.

Key Performances / Features: § Sputtered deposition of multilayers of metals, and metal oxides § Large area, fast deposition rate § 6 x 16 -inch planets § Rate: Ta 2 O 5 / Nb 2 O 5: 5Å/s, Si. O 2: 6Å/s § Uniformity: typical ± 1. 0%, goal: ± 0. 5% § Thickness control § Standard: quartz crystal, time power § Optional: through-the-planet optical monitoring (Single Wavelength or Broad Band)

Optical Sputter Coater Pulsed DC ion / plasma enhanced Materials: Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2 Very stable and repeatable process: Deposition rate: 5. 0Å/s --- Ta 2 O 5 6. 0Å/s --- Si. O 2

Optical Sputter Coater

Single layer Ta 2 O 5, 5. 0 Å/s

Single layer Si. O 2, 6. 0Å/s

Single layer uniformity across a 16 -inch planet: < ± 1%

Uniformity of a LP filter across a 16 -inch planet (spectrally measured)

Uniformity of a LP filter across a 16 -inch planet (Normalized)

550 nm Longpass Filter, 30 layers

Coating examples : 72 -layer SP (Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2 , 5. 7µm) Backside uncoated

Coating examples : 37 -layer GFF (Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2, 3. 8µm) Backside uncoated

Coating examples: 14 -layer BBAR (Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2)

Coating examples: 10 -layer Dual-band AR (Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2)

Coating examples: 58 -layer IR cut filter (Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2)

IR Cut Filter Made by a Competitor’s Coater

Coating examples: IR cut filter Argus’ 54 Competitor’s

Coating examples: 104 -layer WB(Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2, 7. 9µm)

Coating examples: 224 -layer WB(Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2, 23µm)

Coating examples: 80 -layer WB(Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2, 7. 1µm) Backside uncoated

Coating examples: 52 -layer Longpass(Ta 2 O 5/Si. O 2, 3. 0µm) Backside uncoated

Current status: § Optical properties: excellent § Absorption: low § Scattering: low § Mechanical properties § Dense, durable film § Film stress: 230 – 300 MPa, compressive § Film uniformity § Less Than ± 0. 5% on a 16 -inch planet § High throughput; unparalleled process stability

Platform Comparison

Products and Applications for the Argus Optics System