The CVD Materials business of Morgan Advanced Ceramics (MAC) introduces high-purity silicon carbide (SiC) sputtering targets for physical vapor deposition (PVD) applications. The MAC SiC sputtering targets enable the deposition of high-purity SiC thin films for demanding applications such as the manufacturing of magnetic disk drive heads. Dielectric SiC films deposited from MAC’s CVD SiC targets have higher density, higher thermal conductivity and lower expansion coefficient than dielectric aluminum oxide films, enhancing device performance and enabling new device design structures.

The MAC CVD SiC sputtering targets are manufactured by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, resulting in a homogeneous and monolithic SiC target material unlike sintered SiC targets that are formed using powders, binders and sintering aids. This is an important benefit since sintered SiC targets are vulnerable to particle release, or spitting, during the sputtering process. MAC’s CVD SiC targets contain no particles to spit.

In addition, because MAC’s CVD SiC sputtering targets are ultra-pure – 99.9995 percent based on GDMS analysis for metallic impurities - highly pure and uniform SiC films are consistently produced. The SiC films ensure the absence of etch residue (contamination) from reactive ion etch processes that can be used to pattern the SiC film.

The high density and complete lack of porosity in the MAC CVD SiC sputtering targets results in negligible outgassing of the target, and suitability for use in ultra-high vacuum conditions. Further, MAC’s CVD SiC have a thermal conductivity that is twice that of sintered SiC targets and are highly resistant to thermal shock, allowing high-power process conditions to be used to achieve a fast SiC film deposition rate via RF diode and RF or DC magnetron sputtering.

MAC offers SiC targets ranging in size from 3 inches to 20 inch diameter or squarer, eliminating the need to tile together smaller pieces.