Applications of Sputtering Targets;
Film deposition is done using sputtering targets. One technique for sputtering thin films is called "sputter target deposition," which entails eroding material from a "target" source onto a "substrate," such a silicon wafer.
The target is etched using semiconductor sputtering targets. When selectivity is unimportant and a high degree of etching anisotropy is required, sputter etching is the method of choice.
By removing the target material by etching, sputter targets are also employed in analysis.
One instance is in secondary ion spectroscopy (SIMS), in which the target sample is bombarded continuously. Mass spectrometry is used to quantify the concentration and identity of sputtered atoms while the target is sputtered.
The target material's composition may be ascertained and even very low concentrations of contaminants can be found with the aid of the sputtering target.
There is also an application area for sputtering targets in space. One type of space weathering that alters the chemical and physical characteristics of airless worlds like the Moon and asteroids is sputtering.
