Services

Standard Sputtered Coatings

• Conductive Coatings
  Conductive coatings are usually multiple layers applied to ceramics such as Alumina, Aluminum Nitride (AlN), Beryllium Oxide (BeO), and Diamond, as well as Glass, Polymers, PZT, Silicon and other substrates.
  
  Conductive layers for circuitry are typically Copper, Gold, Palladium, Platinum or Silver.
  
  The conductive layers are usually undercoated with an adhesion layer and sometimes a barrier layer to minimize diffusion at higher temperatures.
  
  Standard adhesion metals are Cr, NiCr, Ti, and TiW.
  
  Barrier metals include, but are not limited to, Mo, Ni, NiV, Pt, and TiN.
  
  Thin Films Inc. currently maintains 10 MRC sputtering systems some of which are permanently installed with the following materials to offer 1-3 day delivery as required:
  
  TiW/Au, TiW/Ni/Au, Cr/Au, Cr/Ni/Au, NiCr/Au, NiCr/Ni/Au, NiCr/Cu, Ti/Au, TiW/NiV/Au, Ti/Pt/Au, Ti/Pd/Au and TiW/Ni/Ag
• Resistor Coatings
  Resistor coatings from 10 ohms/square to 200 ohms/square are routinely deposited with either TaN or NiCr. Furnace stabilization from these materials from 350°C to 450°C is utilized to prevent drift at standard operating temperatures. For applications up to 1000 ohms/square SiCr and SiCrOx can be sputtered. Films up to 1 mega-ohm can be deposited utilizing doped poly-Si.
• Dielectric Coatings
  Dielectric coatings can be deposited by the following methods; RF sputtering, RF reactive sputtering and DC reactive sputtering utilizing a pulsed DC power supply. Methods utilized depend on the application, stress requirements, thickness, density, and index. The most frequent materials deposited are Aluminum Oxide, Silicon Nitride and SiO2. Other dielectric films that can be sputtered include MoO₂, PtO₂, Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, WO₂, Y₂O₃, and ZrO₂.
• Transparent Conductive Coatings
  Low resistance/high transmission films of ITO are deposited by a proprietary method on Glass, Silicon and Polymer Substrates. Additional transparent conductive coatings include SnO₂, Al doped ZnO₂, and thin Ag and Au films protected with a dielectric film.

Hard Coatings and Other Sputtered Coatings

• Hard Coatings:
  Hollow Cathode Magnetron Sputtering (with substrate ion bombardment) is used for coating three dimensional parts as they rotate during deposition. The coatings may also be applied to flat (two dimensional) substrates.
  
  TiN can be reactively sputtered which produces a hard, gold colored coating.
  
  TiOxNy may be sputtered for a dark colored hard coating.
  
  TiB₂ coatings can be sputtered on planar substrates that produce ultra hard and smooth coatings approaching approximately the hardness of diamond.

• Heat Sinks:
  Heat sinks can be manufactured to design or coated with AuGe, AuSn, Sn, and In. This allows direct soldering to the substrate without utilizing a pre-form. AlN heat sinks are routinely manufactured to customer's specifications for laser diode applications. The sputtered AuSn is very uniform and consistent.
• Miscellaneous Coatings:
  Other materials available for rapid delivery include Al and Al-Si alloys, TiN, BN, Co, Mo, Nb, Si, SiC, TiB₂, V, Zn, Zr, C, and Ru. Please call to inquire since other materials are routinely added for customer requirements.

Evaporated Coatings

• Optical Coatings:
  Optical Coatings: Half wave and quarter wave coatings for diode lasers and windows can be applied to components for anti-reflection or enhanced reflection. In addition, windows can be coated on the circumference with either Ti/Pt/Au or Ti/Ni/Au as a soldering metallization.
  
  Standard evaporated coatings can be applied for blanket or liftoff applications. These include, but are not limited to Au, AuGe, Al, Al₂O₃, Cr, Cu, Ge, HfO₂, In, MgF₂, Ni, Pt, Si, SiO₂, Sn, Ta₂O₅, Ti, TiO₂, W, ZnS, ZrF, and ZrO₂.

Circuit Fabrication/Thin Film Hybrid Components

Components are manufactured to your designs utilizing either Au or Cu based conductors and TaN or NiCr resistors if required. Circuits with through hole vias, front and back metallizations can be accommodated. Standard substrate materials are polished or as fired 99.6% Alumina, polished or lapped AlN, Diamond, and Quartz.

Please forward your drawings to our engineering staff for quotations or help with designs.

THIN FILM FABRICATION DESIGN RULES:

Resistors

• TaN-Standard is 50 ohms/sq. Values from 25 to 200 ohms/sq.
• TCR is -100 +/-50 ppm/C
• Stabilization 425C for 30 minutes, Lower temperature stabilization required for TaN/TiW/Ni/Au to prevent Ni diffusion, 325C for 60 minutes is usual.
• Layout for laser trimming is 80% of nominal value
• Layout for passivation is 100% of nominal value, +/- 10%
• NiCr-Standard is 50 to 150 ohms/sq.
• TCR value is 0 +/- 50 ppm/C
• Stabilization is 325C for up to 60 minutes
• Layout for laser trimming is 80% of nominal value
• Layout for passivation is 100% of nominal value +/- 10%
• Usual TiW thickness on stack is 250 to 500A
• Usual Ni thickness is 2500A
• Resistor length and width: 2 mil minimum
• Conductor overlay minimum: 1 mil

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General Layout Rules

• Minimum line width and gap width, 1 mil, Tolerance +/- 0.0002"
• Metallized or clearance holes-Absolute location +/- 0.002"
• Hole taper 10-20% of substrate thickness
• Metallized hole minimum 0.005", capture pad minimum 0.005"
• Minimum diameter 1:1 aspect ratio of substrate thickness
• Laser cutouts-0.006" minimum radius
• Minimum separation of laser holes is substrate thickness
• Metallization pullback from edge 0.002"
• Front to back registration +/-0.002"
• Diamond dicing-L and W +/-0.001"

Call with any questions or for specials