Sputtering Targets

Material Systems and Application Areas

Material system	Typical materials	Common application directions
High-purity elemental metals	Aluminum, copper, titanium, chromium, nickel, cobalt, silicon, tin, zinc, silver, gold and platinum	Conductive layers, metallic films, seed layers, barrier layers and functional electrodes
Refractory metals	Tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, vanadium and zirconium	High-temperature films, diffusion barriers, wear-resistant coatings and electronic devices
Alloy targets	Al-based, Ti-based, Ni-based, Co-based, Fe-based, Cu-based, Cr-based and refractory-metal alloys	Controlled alloy films and composition-specific thin-film development
Precious-metal and specialty alloys	Gold, silver, platinum, palladium and related alloy systems	Optical, electrical, catalytic, sensor and advanced-device films
Oxide targets	ITO, IZO, AZO, aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, titanium oxide and niobium oxide	Transparent conductive films, optical films, insulating layers and dielectric coatings
Nitride targets	Titanium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, chromium nitride and related nitrides	Hard coatings, wear-resistant layers, decorative coatings, electronic and optical films
Carbide and boride targets	Titanium carbide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, titanium boride and zirconium boride	High-hardness, high-temperature, corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant coatings
Chalcogenide compound targets	Sulfides, selenides, tellurides and related multicomponent compounds	Photovoltaic, optoelectronic, thermoelectric, memory and semiconductor research
Phosphide, arsenide and specialty compounds	Phosphides, arsenides, antimonides and other multicomponent compounds	Compound semiconductors, infrared optoelectronics and advanced functional films
Magnetic and rare-earth materials	Ferromagnetic, soft-magnetic, rare-earth and magnetic alloy systems	Magnetic recording, magnetic sensors, magnetoelectric devices and spintronic research

Geometry, Dimensions and Backing

Sputtering targets may be supplied as round, planar, rectangular, strip, rotary or custom-shaped formats, depending on the cathode and deposition system. Common specifications include:

• Material name, chemical formula and alloy composition;
• Purity grade and impurity-control requirements;
• Target diameter, length, width and thickness;
• Density, grain structure and surface condition;
• Copper or other backing-plate requirements;
• Indium bonding, elastomer bonding or other bonding options;
• DC, RF, pulsed-DC or reactive-sputtering compatibility;
• Substrate size, deposition area and mounting configuration.

For large-area coating, continuous deposition or special chamber configurations, target utilization, cooling, mounting interfaces and usable erosion depth should be confirmed before ordering.

Purity and Composition Selection

High-purity metal targets are commonly selected when film resistivity, optical properties, device reliability or contamination control is important. Alloy targets are used for stable multi-element film composition, while ceramic and compound targets support transparent conductive, dielectric, semiconductor, hard-coating and optical-film development.

When comparing targets, confirm the purity grade, impurity limits, composition basis, density, target structure and required documentation. Alloy ratios should be checked carefully because atomic percent and weight percent are not interchangeable.

Process and Application Directions

Deposition route	Suitable target direction
DC magnetron sputtering	Conductive elemental metals and many alloy targets
RF sputtering	Insulating oxides, nitrides, ceramics and other compound targets
Reactive sputtering	Metal targets combined with oxygen, nitrogen or other reactive gases
Pulsed-DC sputtering	Processes requiring improved stability and reduced arcing
Co-sputtering	Composition screening and precise multi-element film adjustment

Applications may include conductive films, transparent conductive films, semiconductor layers, dielectric coatings, barrier layers, magnetic films, optical coatings, hard coatings, wear-resistant coatings, decorative films and photovoltaic thin films.

Sputtering Target Selection Checklist

1. What film chemistry or alloy composition is required?
2. Is the composition specified in atomic percent or weight percent?
3. What purity grade and impurity limits are acceptable?
4. What target geometry and dimensions fit the cathode?
5. Is a backing plate or bonded configuration required?
6. Will the process use DC, RF, pulsed DC or reactive sputtering?
7. What substrate size, deposition area and cooling conditions apply?
8. Are composition analysis, certificates or other documents required?

Frequently Asked Questions