Gold Au Evaporation Process Notes

Thermal Evaporation of Gold (Au)

Gold alloys with refractory metals making thermal evaporation out of a tungsten boat nearly impossible. We recommend using either an alumina-coated boat or a shielded, tantalum crucible heater with an alumina crucible. With an evaporation temperature of ~1,400°C and a base pressure for evaporation of 10^-6 Torr or lower, we anticipate the deposition rate to be 1-5 Angstroms per second.

If using a KJLC^® system, we recommend EVS9AAOW which is our standard alumina-coated, dimple-style boat for gold evaporation. It is important to mention that the power supply used must be capable of running high voltages in order for this method to work.

The second option is to use a shielded, tantalum crucible heater with an alumina crucible such as our EVCH1 or EVCH10 with EVC9AO if using a KJLC^® system. Great care must be taken when installing the heater to prevent the outer shields from becoming warped which can cause a short in the heater, causing the welded joints to fail. The heater should be centered between the contacts and the outer shielding must be clear of the leads. Crucibles should be stored in a cool, dry place and always handled with gloves or forceps.

E-beam Evaporation of Gold (Au)

Gold can be tricky to e-beam evaporate. The most common problem is spitting. We find that spitting is more recurrent if certain process parameters are not regulated carefully. The process parameters of concern are cleanliness of the chamber, the amount of power applied, the power ramping procedures, heat transfer from the gold into the e-gun hearth, the consistency of the crucible liner dimensions, and the crucible liner material. Improper control of these parameters may result in a deposition process that is less stable, as well as, poor consistency of films produced in terms of particles in the film.

The degree of heat transfer from the gold melt proves to be the biggest factor when it comes to spitting. When the gold heats or cools too rapidly, liquid droplets are ejected from the pocket. We have determined that the e-beam power directly relates to this issue and applying higher levels of power results in more spitting of the material. It is extremely important to use a slow ramping procedure while the shutter is closed to slowly increase the temperature of the melt. The other option is to reduce power overall during deposition to decrease or eliminate the spitting.

Chamber cleanliness also plays a significant role in proper gold deposition. The chamber should be free of any background contamination and the base pressure must be 10^-6 Torr or lower before attempting to evaporate the gold.

We recommend sweeping the e-beam and ramping power to fully melt the material before depositing films. Once melted, a focused e-beam can be used for the deposition process. With an evaporation temperature of ~1,400°C and a base pressure for evaporation of 10^-6 Torr or lower, we anticipate the deposition rate to be 1-5 Angstroms per second.

We also recommend using a FABMATE^® or molybdenum crucible liner when e-beam evaporating gold. Another process note is to consider the fill volume in the e-beam application because we find that the melt level of a material in a crucible directly affects the success of the crucible liner. Overfilling the crucible will cause the material to spill over and create an electrical short between the liner and the hearth. The outcome is cracking in the crucible. This is the most common cause of crucible liner failure. Placing too little material in the crucible or allowing the melt level to get too low can be detrimental to the process as well. When the melt level is below 30%, the e-beam is likely to strike the bottom or walls of the crucible which immediately results in breakage. Our recommendation is to fill the crucible between 2/3 and 80% full to prevent these difficulties.

Cleanliness and condition of the crucible liner are important as well. Our crucible liners are cleaned and ready for use upon receipt by our customers. However, a good practice to follow would be to wipe out each liner with IPA on a KIM wipe and check the KIM wipe to ensure no dirt is remaining. The crucible must then be allowed to dry completely.

Crucible liners should be stored in a cool, dry place and always handled with gloves or forceps.

E-beam Crucible Liner Fill Rate Calculator

Instructions for use:
Input the Crucible Liner Volume, Select Material (if not available in menu, manually input Material Density in g/cm³), and input fill rate %.

KJLC recommends a fill rate between 67-75%. Overfilling the crucible will cause the material to spill over and create an electrical short between the liner and the hearth causing the crucible to crack. Placing too little material in the crucible or allowing the melt level to get too low can be detrimental to the process as well. When the melt level is below 30%, the e-beam is likely to strike the bottom or walls of the crucible which immediately results in breakage.

The fill rate above assumes that the material is fully melted and does not take into account packing density. It should be noted that the crucible liner may need to be loaded multiple times, pre-melted, and topped off in order to achieve the final desired melt level/fill rate. When loading the crucible, do not load more than 80% of the height of the crucible liner.

This calculator is for estimation purposes only.

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Crucible Liner Volume (in cc):

Material:
-- Please Select -- Aluminum Aluminum Antimonide Aluminum Arsenide Aluminum Bromide Aluminum Carbide Aluminum Fluoride Aluminum Nitride Aluminum Oxide Aluminum Phosphide Aluminum, 1% Copper Aluminum, 1% Silicon Antimony Antimony Oxide Antimony Selenide Antimony Sulfide Antimony Telluride Arsenic Arsenic Oxide Arsenic Selenide Arsenic Sulfide Arsenic Telluride Barium Barium Chloride Barium Fluoride Barium Oxide Barium Sulfide Barium Titanate Beryllium Beryllium Carbide Beryllium Chloride Beryllium Fluoride Beryllium Oxide Bismuth Bismuth Fluoride Bismuth Oxide Bismuth Selenide Bismuth Sulfide Bismuth Telluride Bismuth Titanate Boron Boron Carbide Boron Nitride Boron Oxide Boron Sulfide Cadmium Cadmium Antimonide Cadmium Arsenide Cadmium Bromide Cadmium Chloride Cadmium Fluoride Cadmium Iodide Cadmium Oxide Cadmium Selenide Cadmium Sulfide Cadmium Telluride Calcium Calcium Fluoride Calcium Oxide Calcium Silicate Calcium Sulfide Calcium Titanate Calcium Tungstate Carbon Cerium Cerium (III) Oxide Cerium (IV) Oxide Cerium Fluoride Cesium Cesium Bromide Cesium Chloride Cesium Fluoride Cesium Hydroxide Cesium Iodide Chiolite Chromium Chromium (II) Bromide Chromium Boride Chromium Carbide Chromium Chloride Chromium Oxide Chromium Silicide Cobalt † Cobalt Bromide Cobalt Chloride Cobalt Oxide Copper Copper Chloride Copper Oxide Copper Sulfide Cryolite Dysprosium Dysprosium Fluoride Dysprosium Oxide Erbium Erbium Fluoride Erbium Oxide Europium Europium Fluoride Europium Oxide Europium Sulfide Gadolinium † Gadolinium Carbide Gadolinium Oxide Gallium Gallium Antimonide Gallium Arsenide Gallium Nitride Gallium Oxide Gallium Phosphide Germanium Germanium (II) Oxide Germanium (III) Oxide Germanium Nitride Germanium Telluride Glass, Schott^® 8329 Gold Hafnium Hafnium Boride Hafnium Carbide Hafnium Nitride Hafnium Oxide Hafnium Silicide Holmium Holmium Fluoride Holmium Oxide Inconel^® Indium Indium (I) Oxide Indium (I) Sulfide Indium (II) Sulfide Indium (II) Telluride Indium (III) Oxide Indium (III) Sulfide Indium (III) Telluride Indium Antimonide Indium Arsenide Indium Nitride Indium Phosphide Indium Selenide Indium Tin Oxide Iridium Iron (II) Oxide Iron (III) Oxide Iron † Iron Bromide Iron Chloride Iron Iodide Iron Sulfide Kanthal Lanthanum Lanthanum Boride Lanthanum Bromide Lanthanum Fluoride Lanthanum Oxide Lead Lead Bromide Lead Chloride Lead Fluoride Lead Iodide Lead Oxide Lead Selenide Lead Stannate Lead Sulfide Lead Telluride Lead Titanate Lithium Lithium Bromide Lithium Chloride Lithium Fluoride Lithium Iodide Lithium Niobate Lithium Oxide Lutetium Lutetium Oxide Magnesium Magnesium Aluminate Magnesium Bromide Magnesium Chloride Magnesium Fluoride Magnesium Iodide Magnesium Oxide Manganese Manganese (II) Oxide Manganese (III) Oxide Manganese (IV) Oxide Manganese Bromide Manganese Chloride Manganese Sulfide Mercury Mercury Sulfide Molybdenum Molybdenum Boride Molybdenum Carbide Molybdenum Oxide Molybdenum Silicide Molybdenum Sulfide Neodymium Neodymium Fluoride Neodymium Oxide Nichrome IV^® Nickel † Nickel Bromide Nickel Chloride Nickel Oxide Nickel/Iron † Nimendium † Niobium Niobium (II) Oxide Niobium (III) Oxide Niobium (V) Oxide Niobium Boride Niobium Carbide Niobium Nitride Niobium Telluride Niobium-Tin Osmium Osmium Oxide Palladium Palladium Oxide Parylene Permalloy^® † Phosphorus Phosphorus Nitride Platinum Platinum Oxide Plutonium Polonium Potassium Potassium Bromide Potassium Chloride Potassium Fluoride Potassium Hydroxide Potassium Iodide Praseodymium Praseodymium Oxide PTFE Radium Rhenium Rhenium Oxide Rhodium Rubidium Rubidium Chloride Rubidium Iodide Ruthenium Samarium Samarium Oxide Samarium Sulfide Scandium Scandium Oxide Selenium Silicon Silicon (II) Oxide Silicon (IV) Oxide Silicon (N-type) Silicon (P-type) Silicon Boride Silicon Carbide Silicon Nitride Silicon Selenide Silicon Sulfide Silicon Telluride Silver Silver Bromide Silver Chloride Silver Iodide Sodium Sodium Bromide Sodium Chloride Sodium Cyanide Sodium Fluoride Sodium Hydroxide Spinel Strontium Strontium Chloride Strontium Fluoride Strontium Oxide Strontium Sulfide Strontium Titanate Sulfur Supermalloy^® † Tantalum Tantalum Boride Tantalum Carbide Tantalum Nitride Tantalum Pentoxide Tantalum Sulfide Technetium Tellurium Terbium Terbium Fluoride Terbium Oxide Terbium Peroxide Thallium Thallium Bromide Thallium Chloride Thallium Iodide Thallium Oxide Thorium Thorium Bromide Thorium Carbide Thorium Fluoride Thorium Oxide Thorium Oxyfluoride Thorium Sulfide Thulium Thulium Oxide Tin Tin Oxide Tin Selenide Tin Sulfide Tin Telluride Titanium Titanium (II) Oxide Titanium (III) Oxide Titanium (IV) Oxide Titanium Boride Titanium Carbide Titanium Nitride Tungsten Tungsten Boride Tungsten Carbide Tungsten Disulfide Tungsten Oxide Tungsten Selenide Tungsten Silicide Tungsten Telluride Uranium Uranium (II) Sulfide Uranium (III) Oxide Uranium (IV) Oxide Uranium (IV) Sulfide Uranium Carbide Uranium Fluoride Uranium Phosphide Vanadium Vanadium (IV) Oxide Vanadium (V) Oxide Vanadium Boride Vanadium Carbide Vanadium Nitride Vanadium Silicide Ytterbium Ytterbium Fluoride Ytterbium Oxide Yttrium Yttrium Aluminum Oxide Yttrium Fluoride Yttrium Oxide Zinc Zinc Antimonide Zinc Bromide Zinc Fluoride Zinc Nitride Zinc Oxide Zinc Selenide Zinc Sulfide Zinc Telluride Zirconium Zirconium Boride Zirconium Carbide Zirconium Nitride Zirconium Oxide Zirconium Silicate Zirconium Silicide
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Density of the material in g/cm³:

Fill Rate %:

Result

See highlighted results that match your result in the table below.

Material Needed to Deposit a 1 Micron Film Calculator

Instructions for use:
Select source type, input distance from source to substrate and Select Material (if not available in menu, manually input Material Density in kg/m³).

This calculator is for estimation purposes only. The estimated mass is that needed to produce a desired film thickness (1 micron in this case) on a flat substrate at a point directly above the source, accounting for the approximate plume distribution of the selected source type. It does not account for any expected nonuniformity in thickness over a larger substrate area. More complex geometries, e.g. those with offset and/or tilted sources, may have higher material requirements. The estimated mass is for the film deposition only; additional margin should be included to account for loss during ramp-up, burn-in, stabilisation and ramp-down.

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Source:
Point Directional - Thermal Boat Directional - EBeam Directional - LTE/HTE

Distance of source to substrate (in cm):

Material:
-- Please Select -- Aluminum Aluminum Antimonide Aluminum Arsenide Aluminum Bromide Aluminum Carbide Aluminum Fluoride Aluminum Nitride Aluminum Oxide Aluminum Phosphide Aluminum, 1% Copper Aluminum, 1% Silicon Antimony Antimony Oxide Antimony Selenide Antimony Sulfide Antimony Telluride Arsenic Arsenic Oxide Arsenic Selenide Arsenic Sulfide Arsenic Telluride Barium Barium Chloride Barium Fluoride Barium Oxide Barium Sulfide Barium Titanate Beryllium Beryllium Carbide Beryllium Chloride Beryllium Fluoride Beryllium Oxide Bismuth Bismuth Fluoride Bismuth Oxide Bismuth Selenide Bismuth Sulfide Bismuth Telluride Bismuth Titanate Boron Boron Carbide Boron Nitride Boron Oxide Boron Sulfide Cadmium Cadmium Antimonide Cadmium Arsenide Cadmium Bromide Cadmium Chloride Cadmium Fluoride Cadmium Iodide Cadmium Oxide Cadmium Selenide Cadmium Sulfide Cadmium Telluride Calcium Calcium Fluoride Calcium Oxide Calcium Silicate Calcium Sulfide Calcium Titanate Calcium Tungstate Carbon Cerium Cerium (III) Oxide Cerium (IV) Oxide Cerium Fluoride Cesium Cesium Bromide Cesium Chloride Cesium Fluoride Cesium Hydroxide Cesium Iodide Chiolite Chromium Chromium (II) Bromide Chromium Boride Chromium Carbide Chromium Chloride Chromium Oxide Chromium Silicide Cobalt † Cobalt Bromide Cobalt Chloride Cobalt Oxide Copper Copper Chloride Copper Oxide Copper Sulfide Cryolite Dysprosium Dysprosium Fluoride Dysprosium Oxide Erbium Erbium Fluoride Erbium Oxide Europium Europium Fluoride Europium Oxide Europium Sulfide Gadolinium † Gadolinium Carbide Gadolinium Oxide Gallium Gallium Antimonide Gallium Arsenide Gallium Nitride Gallium Oxide Gallium Phosphide Germanium Germanium (II) Oxide Germanium (III) Oxide Germanium Nitride Germanium Telluride Glass, Schott^® 8329 Gold Hafnium Hafnium Boride Hafnium Carbide Hafnium Nitride Hafnium Oxide Hafnium Silicide Holmium Holmium Fluoride Holmium Oxide Inconel^® Indium Indium (I) Oxide Indium (I) Sulfide Indium (II) Sulfide Indium (II) Telluride Indium (III) Oxide Indium (III) Sulfide Indium (III) Telluride Indium Antimonide Indium Arsenide Indium Nitride Indium Phosphide Indium Selenide Indium Tin Oxide Iridium Iron (II) Oxide Iron (III) Oxide Iron † Iron Bromide Iron Chloride Iron Iodide Iron Sulfide Kanthal Lanthanum Lanthanum Boride Lanthanum Bromide Lanthanum Fluoride Lanthanum Oxide Lead Lead Bromide Lead Chloride Lead Fluoride Lead Iodide Lead Oxide Lead Selenide Lead Stannate Lead Sulfide Lead Telluride Lead Titanate Lithium Lithium Bromide Lithium Chloride Lithium Fluoride Lithium Iodide Lithium Niobate Lithium Oxide Lutetium Lutetium Oxide Magnesium Magnesium Aluminate Magnesium Bromide Magnesium Chloride Magnesium Fluoride Magnesium Iodide Magnesium Oxide Manganese Manganese (II) Oxide Manganese (III) Oxide Manganese (IV) Oxide Manganese Bromide Manganese Chloride Manganese Sulfide Mercury Mercury Sulfide Molybdenum Molybdenum Boride Molybdenum Carbide Molybdenum Oxide Molybdenum Silicide Molybdenum Sulfide Neodymium Neodymium Fluoride Neodymium Oxide Nichrome IV^® Nickel † Nickel Bromide Nickel Chloride Nickel Oxide Nickel/Iron † Nimendium † Niobium Niobium (II) Oxide Niobium (III) Oxide Niobium (V) Oxide Niobium Boride Niobium Carbide Niobium Nitride Niobium Telluride Niobium-Tin Osmium Osmium Oxide Palladium Palladium Oxide Parylene Permalloy^® † Phosphorus Phosphorus Nitride Platinum Platinum Oxide Plutonium Polonium Potassium Potassium Bromide Potassium Chloride Potassium Fluoride Potassium Hydroxide Potassium Iodide Praseodymium Praseodymium Oxide PTFE Radium Rhenium Rhenium Oxide Rhodium Rubidium Rubidium Chloride Rubidium Iodide Ruthenium Samarium Samarium Oxide Samarium Sulfide Scandium Scandium Oxide Selenium Silicon Silicon (II) Oxide Silicon (IV) Oxide Silicon (N-type) Silicon (P-type) Silicon Boride Silicon Carbide Silicon Nitride Silicon Selenide Silicon Sulfide Silicon Telluride Silver Silver Bromide Silver Chloride Silver Iodide Sodium Sodium Bromide Sodium Chloride Sodium Cyanide Sodium Fluoride Sodium Hydroxide Spinel Strontium Strontium Chloride Strontium Fluoride Strontium Oxide Strontium Sulfide Strontium Titanate Sulfur Supermalloy^® † Tantalum Tantalum Boride Tantalum Carbide Tantalum Nitride Tantalum Pentoxide Tantalum Sulfide Technetium Tellurium Terbium Terbium Fluoride Terbium Oxide Terbium Peroxide Thallium Thallium Bromide Thallium Chloride Thallium Iodide Thallium Oxide Thorium Thorium Bromide Thorium Carbide Thorium Fluoride Thorium Oxide Thorium Oxyfluoride Thorium Sulfide Thulium Thulium Oxide Tin Tin Oxide Tin Selenide Tin Sulfide Tin Telluride Titanium Titanium (II) Oxide Titanium (III) Oxide Titanium (IV) Oxide Titanium Boride Titanium Carbide Titanium Nitride Tungsten Tungsten Boride Tungsten Carbide Tungsten Disulfide Tungsten Oxide Tungsten Selenide Tungsten Silicide Tungsten Telluride Uranium Uranium (II) Sulfide Uranium (III) Oxide Uranium (IV) Oxide Uranium (IV) Sulfide Uranium Carbide Uranium Fluoride Uranium Phosphide Vanadium Vanadium (IV) Oxide Vanadium (V) Oxide Vanadium Boride Vanadium Carbide Vanadium Nitride Vanadium Silicide Ytterbium Ytterbium Fluoride Ytterbium Oxide Yttrium Yttrium Aluminum Oxide Yttrium Fluoride Yttrium Oxide Zinc Zinc Antimonide Zinc Bromide Zinc Fluoride Zinc Nitride Zinc Oxide Zinc Selenide Zinc Sulfide Zinc Telluride Zirconium Zirconium Boride Zirconium Carbide Zirconium Nitride Zirconium Oxide Zirconium Silicate Zirconium Silicide
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Density of the material in kg/m³:

Multiplier:

Mass for 1 micron layer