An upgraded ultra-high vacuum magnetron-sputtering system for high-versatility and software-controlled deposition

Magnetron sputtering is a widely used physical vapor deposition technique. Reactive sputtering is used for the deposition of, e.g, oxides, nitrides and carbides. In fundamental research, versatility is essential when designing or upgrading a deposition chamber. Furthermore, automated deposition systems are the norm in industrial production, but relatively uncommon in laboratory-scale systems used primarily for fundamental research. Combining automatization and computerized control with the required versatility for fundamental research constitutes a challenge in designing, developing, and upgrading laboratory deposition systems. The present article provides a detailed description of the design of a lab-scale deposition chamber for magnetron sputtering used for the deposition of metallic, oxide, nitride and oxynitride films with automated controls, dc or pulsed bias, and combined with a coil to enhance the plasma density near the substrate. LabVIEW software (provided as Supplementary Information) has been developed for a high degree of computerized or automated control of hardware and processes control and logging of process details.Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council (VR)Swedish Research Council [2016-03365, 621-212-4368]; Swedish Energy AgencySwedish Energy Agency [46519-1]; Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation through the Wallenberg Academy Fellows program [KAW-2020.0196]; Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU) [2009 00971]