full screen - Umicore Thin Film Products
Transcription
full screen - Umicore Thin Film Products
Materials The Umicore Thin Film Products Customer Magazine | December 2004 More Development Power for Sustainable Growth Page 6 | Tools and Targets for Advanced Packaging Page 12 | Building the Future of Umicore 2 | December 2004 2 | Editorial 4 | Will ITO Shortages Slow LCD Growth? Strong Fin 6 | Tools and Targets Dear Readers, Umicore TFP and advanced packaging Welcome to our new issue of Materials Maga- 8 | Particle Sizing of Materials by Laser Diffraction zine.We are approaching Ignace de Ruijter the end of an exciting year bringing us further growth in line with the goals we set two years ago. 10 | Germanium Sputtering Target Recycling 11 | The Umicore TFP Sales Meeting Exchange, learning, and improved customer service 12 | Building Our Future Opening celebrations for the new building in Balzers Business increase 2004 has been very successful for Umicore Thin Film Products.As a business unit, we have continued on our track of steady growth and continuous improvement. Sales were strong in all segments. We saw healthy increase in electronics and optics, where we feel that our product development and marketing efforts are paying off. Sales of materials for wear protection showed continued growth, sales for Optical Data Storage exceeded expectations 13 | Deposition, Starting Materials, and Film Properties despite lower demand for rewritables and fierce competition.The display market has also boomed this year, which led to a significant increase in sales of our ITO and Cr targets. We 16 | Umicore TFP Event News expanded our capacity for ITO and continue to support the further growth of Umicore in this Editor in Chief: Ignace de Ruijter, Vice President Umicore Thin Film Products Managing Editor: Markus Schilling, Marketing Communications Manager Design Management/Layout/Production: Denon Corporate Publishing, Rapperswil, Switzerland Project Manager: Veronika Schreyer, is design, Vienna Please contact us: Fax: +423 388 74 50 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com Cover page: Cobalt powders; at Umicore TFP cobalt is one of the elements used in the evaporation and sputtering process for PVD film deposition. Subscribe to Materials Magazine free! If you would like to regularly receive Materials Magazine, please subscribe on our website www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com. market segment (see also page 4). www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 3 ish of a Successful Year Umicore Thin Film Products exceeded expectations for 2004. The Business Unit showed solid growth for the past two years and is set to continue its course of success. Development power results of the year so far! We now have a work- germanium, and the complete range of pre- The year was also successful with respect to place where the material flow is greatly im- cious metals (see page 10). Recycling and sus- strengthening our team as presented in the proved, with better environment and safety tainability are essential to Umicore’s business previous issue of Materials Magazine. With standards, with a brand new development lab model. Our business is driven by our people, by particular attention to product management as well as cleaning and packing infrastructure. our knowledge and understanding of our mar- and product development we will continue to In other words: everything is in place for opti- kets, products and processes, by our customers enhance our responsiveness both in terms of mized efficiency. The open office and working and our partners, by communication. I am customer communication and new product environments create the openness and trans- happy that this is well reflected in our Materi- generation. Our development power, with con- parency which Umicore stands for. In our «new als Magazine. stant process and cost optimization, is key to home» we will make better products and pro- supporting long-term growth and success in vide even better services for our customers. I leave with you my best wishes for the remainder of this year and for the year 2005, the dynamic markets where we are active. Materials for a better life may it be a year of happiness for you and your Our new home Umicore’s global vision can be summarized by families. Of course, one of the milestone events this «Materials for a better life». We make exciting year has been the move of our facility in Balz- products for applications that bring quality to ers to a new building in the same town (see our lives today. Thin film products find their page 12). This was a major project, and we way into mobile phones, flat panel displays, have successfully completed the whole move high-speed electronics, CDs and DVDs, high- on time, within budget, and without negatively end tool components, or high-quality optical affecting the service to our customers. The lenses, to name a few. move took place in the third quarter, which Umicore has the capabilities to close the loop even turned out to yield the best quarterly by recycling spent materials such as indium, Best regards, Ignace de Ruijter Vice President Umicore Thin Film Products [email protected] 4 | December 2004 Will ITO Shortages Slow LCD Growth? The transparent conductor indium tin oxide (ITO) is an essential element in display technologies. A supply shortage would have considerable impact, particularly on the fast growing flat panel displays market. By Dr. Thomas Jansseune General Manager Umicore Materials Taiwan [email protected] The growth of flat panel displays is spectacular, and liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in particular are the motor behind this strong increase. No matter whether expressed by number of units sold or by monetary value, LCDs dominate and are expected to continue doing so (Figure 1). Although passive matrix LCDs (PMLCDs) are now enjoying the highest volumes still, active matrix LCDs (AMLCDs) are clearly becoming the leading technology, driven by the introduction of LCD TV. Can the supply chain follow? Since the second half of 2003 the supply chain of the LCD juggernaut has been under stress. Shortages have been reported for numerous key components, such as LCD glass, polarizers, driver ICs, and color filters. For most or all of these components, suppliers have in the meantime announced an increase of capacity. Is ITO in short supply as well? ITO holds a somewhat special place in the display industry since it is being used by all display technologies. Being a transparent conductor, it is essential for the functioning of these electro-optic devices (see also Materials Magazine June 2003). An accurate estimate of the global ITO needs is difficult, but one can safely say that it is at least linked to the consumption of LCD glass (Figure 2). Based on the forecasts for LCD glass, ITO consumption can be expected to double in the next few years. Earlier this year, shortages by 10 to 20% have been reported for this critical ingredient.As for other key components, most prominent ITO producers, including Umicore (Materials Magazine June 2004), have since announced capacity increases. Umicore has already completed this capacity increase, and it is expected that there will be no further shortage of ITO production capacity in 2005. Plenty of capacity but lack of raw materials Figures for the need for indium, the main raw material, vary widely but go up to 850 tons in 2005 (Metal Pages 16 September 2004). This would outstrip the current production of virgin material, at the moment rated at around 300 tons per year (Figure 4). Of these 300 tons only 60 to 80% are used for ITO. The rest of the material – having a higher or lower purity than the ITO grade indium – is used in electronics (e.g. InP or other compound semiconductors) and alloys. Since indium is a byproduct of zinc, lead, and tin production, its output is linked to the output of these metals and cannot be easily increased. Recently, Korea Zinc, however, announced that they would start refining the indium that is contained in their flow sheet, but the effect of this may be balanced by a reduced output from China. A shortage of indium concentrates is becoming critical there, some indium activities were closed in 2001 and as recently as August 2004 (Metal Bulletin 25 August 2004). Despite the closures in 2001 the Chinese output increased again in 2003 and this may be due to sales of inventory at the current attractive indium price (Figure 3). It remains to be seen Indium produced by Umicore www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 5 whether the Chinese output will be able to keep up with this production level. In France, Metaleurop stopped producing indium, taking 65 tons capacity from the market. With the currently high indium price, not many new suppliers are expected to enter the arena. Any investment setting up a new production unit would require a lot of capital, even just financing the material that is required for production flow. Fortunately, some secondary indium is available from recycling. Around 60% of ITO targets can be recycled, but this would still not be enough. This overall shortage is reflected in the strongly increased indium price (Figure 3). Just a few months ago, a brief leveling in the price increases occurred; it is believed that this was linked to Japanese ITO producers having secured their needs for the second and third quarters of 2004. Right now, buyers seem to be back for the rest of the year and 2005. The odds are that a shortage will remain. If this is the case, a portion of the ITO production capacity will remain idle. In such circumstances, fully integrated ITO producers will be in the best posi- Figure 1: Evolution of the displays market tion to continue a secure supply to their customers. Most ITO is still being produced in Japan, but only a small share of the indium production is located there (Figure 4), most indium supply for the Japanese market coming from China or Canada. Umicore as ITO producer So far, Umicore is the only established fully integrated ITO producer, with its indium refining operation in Belgium and ITO production at Umicore Indium Products (USA). Related activities, such as bonding and sales, are also covered by Umicore. Recycling takes place both at the Belgian and USA facilities giving Umicore a lot of flexibility for taking in various types of indium containing materials. Umicore can offer its customers the long-term assurances they are looking for. This article is based on a presentation given on Semi FPD Technical Seminar in Taipei (June 2004). Figure 3: Indium price development 2,500 1,000 800 1,500 600 USD/kg Million units 2,000 400 1,000 200 500 AMLCD PMLCD OLED Figure 2: LCD glass capacity Source: iSupply Aug 04 July 04 June 04 Apr 04 March 04 Jan 04 Dec 03 2007 Oct 03 2006 other Sept 03 2005 PDP Aug 03 2004 June 03 2003 May 03 2002 March 03 0 Feb 03 Jan 03 0 Source: Metal Bulletin Figure 4: Indium production 90 400 80 350 70 300 60 MT/y mm 2 / y 250 50 200 40 150 30 100 20 50 10 0 1995 0 2004 Corning Asahi 2005 NHT NEG Belgium 1996 Canada 1997 China 1998 France 1999 Japan 2000 Peru Russia 2001 others 2002 2003 Source: USGS 6 | December 2004 Tools and Targets A Short Introduction to Advanced Packaging Targets from Umicore Thin Film Products are widely used in under bump metallization (UBM) processes as implemented by Unaxis Wafer Processing. Dr. Dominik Ringer talks to Hans Auer, Product Marketing Manager PVD, Dr. Christian Linder, PVD Process Technology Manager, and Wolfgang Rietzler, Product Marketing Manager PVD, from the Unaxis Wafer Processing Division. By Dr. Dominik Ringer Product Manager Semiconductor Materials [email protected] Dominik Ringer: Many of our customers are running Unaxis tools using Umicore Thin Film Products targets for advanced packaging. Mr. Auer, could you give us a brief overview of the advanced packaging market? Hans Auer: «Increased computing speed, transition to flat panel displays, more powerful mobile communication, and personal digital devices define the innovation momentum in semiconductor packaging. Cost, performance, miniaturization, thermal and power management, and most recently integration have become key factors dictating the pace to adopt advanced packaging. While flip-chip technology has been used for quite some time mainly for microprocessors, high performance logic and display drivers, WL-CSP, SiP, and integration of passive elements have just recently been introduced.» Dominik Ringer: Could you explain some of the most common expressions, such as WLP, flip-chip, WL-CSP and SiP? Hans Auer: «All advanced packaging process steps performed at the wafer level are described as wafer level packaging (WLP). At Unaxis Wafer Processing, we cover the metallization processes with our proven sputter technology.WLP requires the following steps: sputtering, photo lithography, coat/bake/de- © Unaxis Wafer Processing CLUSTERLINE® 300 mm sputtering target velop of photo resist and passivation layers, electroplating or screen printing, wet and/or dry etching and cleaning, and bump reflow. The term flip-chip (the chip needs to be «flipped» to meet the contacts on the counterpart) distinguishes from wire bonding www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 7 Images courtesy of Unaxis Wafer Processing where a chip is attached to the counterpart with its backside. Flip-chips typically feature fine pitch bumps and are attached either to a ceramic or organic substrate or directly as flipchip on board (FCOB), flip-chip on glass (COG) or flip-chip on a flexible circuit board (COF). They are also ideal for system in package (SiP) assembly. SiP means several chips are assembled on one substrate to a package. The introduction of wafer level chip scale packaging (WL-CSP) has gathered a lot of speed over the last couple of years. The uniqueness of WL-CSP is the package being basically finished on wafer level, which can, after dicing the WL-CSP with its ball contacts, be assembled on standard surface mount devices (SMD) pick and place equipment. However, due to the larger ball contacts compared to bumps, only a much smaller pin count can be achieved, limiting the application of WL-CSPs to smaller and simpler devices with lower I/O counts.» Dominik Ringer: What types of different technologies are implemented at Unaxis Wafer Processing, and what are the implications in using them for 300 mm wafers? Christian Linder: «The WLP processes implemented at Unaxis include under bump metallization (UBM) and redistribution layers (RDL), as well as integration of passive elements using physical vapor deposition (PVD). After UBM and RDL processes have qualified for 300 mm several years ago, volume production is currently in place at several IDMs (independent device manufacturers) and assembly and packaging foundries. A typical production sequence starts with a clean-etch step using an inductive coupled plasma (ICP) source, which induces no damage to the pre-fabricated dies on the wafer. This etching removes native oxides and other materials such as organic residues from the wafer surface. Thus, subsequent metal films (first metal of the UBM/RDL stack, e.g. Ti or Al) achieve a low contact resistivity to the metal pads of the dies and an optimum adhesion to the pads, as NiV7, Au), or as wetable materials for the solder of printed bumps. In the case of RDL, the top metals serve as the conductive interconnect lines (e.g. Al, Cu).» © Unaxis Wafer Processing LLS EVO II with automatic cassette-to-cassette wafer handling well as to the passivation layers on the wafer surface. Next, barrier metal films such as NiV7 or WTi10 are deposited preventing diffusion of the bump metals to the die metals. The top metals of the UBM stack are used as seed layers, e.g. for subsequent plating (Cu, Figure 1: Schematic structure of flip-chip interconnection Si Solder UBM PCB Cu Adhesion layer Diffusion barrier layer Solder wettable layer © Unaxis Wafer Processing Side view of the CLUSTERLINE® 300 Dominik Ringer: Which tools are available at Unaxis and what are your critical process parameters? Wolfgang Rietzler: «In general, three principles can be applied: evaporation, sputtering in a batch, and a single wafer system. For these processes, Unaxis developed the LLS EVO II and the CLUSTERLINE® 200 and 300. Precise control of process parameters combined with the perfectly adjusted design of module components guarantees optimum film characteristics. For example, electrical film properties can be tuned for lowest possible resistivity at a given maximum process temperature as well as for appropriate uniformity. This enables precise metal wet etching or homogeneously distributed plating current for uniform bump heights. Furthermore, depending on the film material, the mechanical stress can be specifically controlled by means of process power, gas flow, temperature, or RF-bias. The results are low-stress film stacks providing mechanical stability which is needed for the long term reliability of the bump structure.» Dominik Ringer: Can you name some typical examples of UBM layers which can be accomplished with Umicore TFP targets on Unaxis tools ? Wolfgang Rietzler: «All current UBM processes are supported in the Unaxis product portfolio. Some examples of these processes are: Ti-Al-Ti Al-NiV-Cu Cr-Cu-Au WTi(N)-Cu-Au WTi(N)-NiV-Au Cr-Cr/Cu-Cu-Au (original C4). For more information on Umicore TFP targets and evaporation materials please contact: [email protected] 8 | December 2004 Particle Sizing of Materials by Laser Diffraction Particle size measurement is a must in many branches of the manufacturing industry. It is especially valuable in areas such as product development, manufacturing control, and quality assurance. By Dipl.-Phys. Andreas Hiermer R&D Project Manager Optics [email protected] Measurement equipment In our laboratory in Balzers, Liechtenstein, a Mastersizer 2000 laser diffraction-based particle size analyzer from Malvern Instruments is used.The Mastersizer 2000 system is driven by standard operating procedures (SOPs) and thus guarantees a reliable solution for everyday particle sizing needs. Full integration of the entire system provides assured measurement performance from submicron to millimetre particle sizes (0.02 µm to 2 mm). Its modular configuration is highly flexible. Samples can be measured wet or dry, and the Working with the Mastersizer system is able to cope with quantities ranging from only a few milligrams to several grams. Laser diffraction physics Laser diffraction is a non-invasive method for measuring particle size.The beginnings of this method can be pinpointed to 1820 when Figure 1: Diffraction pattern of one spherical particle Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787 – 1826) discovered the diffraction effects of light in Benediktbeuern, Germany. During a laser diffraction measurement, particles pass through a focused laser beam. These particles scatter light at an angle, which is inversely proportional to their size. This means, small particles generate large diffraction angles and vice versa. The angular intensity of the scattered light is then measured by a series of photosensitive semiconductor detectors. The number and positioning of these detectors has been optimized to achieve maximum resolution across a broad range of particle sizes. The map of scattering intensity versus angle is the primary source of information used to calculate particle size (Figure 1). The scattering of particles is quite accurately predicted by the Mie scattering model introduced in 1908. This model is applied in the Malvern equipment, allowing accurate sizing across the widest possible dynamic range from 0.02 to 2,000 microns. The optical setup for the generation of diffraction patterns is shown in Figure 2. The sample is fed through the system either by air or by liquid in a so-called cuvette, which provides two glass windows to guide the sample flux through the system. Increased sub-micron resolution is achieved with a dual wavelength detection system. In addition to the red light emitted from the He-Ne laser, the shorter wavelength of a blue light laser diode is used in conjunction with forward and backscatter detection for enhanced sizing performance. These two light sources combined provide sensitivity across a www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 9 Klaus Leitner, Head of R&D in Balzers: «This instrument enables us to provide quality products for PVD applications on the basis of powder metallurgy and ceramics to our customers.» wide size range. The entire measurement range is accessed using a single-lens system. This rugged configuration ensures that changing between different dispersion units for dry and wet sample preparation is immediate and easy. Any reconfiguration is automatic and software-controlled. Alignment is carried out in seconds either as part of an automated measurement or with a single mouse-click on the screen. Sample preparation is essential Inadequate sample dispersion is a major source of measurement errors in particle sizing. A wide range of software-controlled sample dispersion units allows the dispersion conditions to be matched to individual applications and samples. Where, for example, the primary particle size is important, correct dispersion of the sample will be important; if the natural agglomerated state is of interest, sample preparation should take this into account in order to avoid the breakup of agglomerated particles. In either case, the dispersion medium – whether air or a liquid – should not cause irreversible changes to the particle size through processes such as dissolution, milling, or agglomeration. A typical dispersant is water. Ultrasound and additives like sodium hexametaphosphate keep the sample during measurement in a stable dispersed condition. Measurements made reproducible through automated operation Meeting international standards Automatic operation using preprogrammed SOPs ensures that any operator bias is minimized. Full automation and SOP-driven operation has dramatically reduced the need for user intervention. Thereby a major source of measurement variability is removed. Softwarecontrolled dispersion units deliver the optimal sample preparation that is necessary to produce repeatable high-quality results. Real time displays allow the tracking of sample measurements to monitor all aspects of the measurement process. Result reporting is completely configurable, which allows an exact definition of the information displayed. This ensures consistent data management and reporting. Figure 3 shows the particle distribution of a TiO2 powder sample which we use as a raw Figure 2: Laser diffraction schematic Optical set-up for the generation of diffraction patterns material for our evaporation granulate and tablets.The diagram shows the particle size distribution in percent over particle size in microns. The term d (0.5) describes the size in microns where 50% of the sample is smaller and 50% is larger. This value is also known as the Mass Median Diameter (MMD). ISO 13320-1 is the first formal international standard for particle size analysis by laser diffraction. It provides a methodology for adequate quality control. Successful measurement also depends on the good performance of the sample dispersion units. As quality audit standards,glass beads in the size range between 10 µm and 12 µm, packaged in single-shot bottles, can be used to validate the system performance. Further reading • R. H. Müller, R. Schuhmann, Teilchenmessung in der Laborpraxis, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, 1996 • Brian Scarlett, Particle Size Analysis, Classification and Sedimentation Methods, Chapman & Hall, 1994 Figure 3: Typical particle size distribution 10 9 Sample in Lens 8 Detector 7 Volume (%) Beam expander Laser 6 5 4 3 2 1 Measuring zone 0 Sample out 0.01 0.1 1 10 Particle size (m) 100 1,000 3,000 10 | December 2004 Germanium Sputtering Target Recycling Umicore’s sustainable development strategy sets a new milestone. By Christophe Murez Product Manager Optical Data Storage [email protected] The Umicore Group considers recycling of materials as a pillar of its strategy, and the Optical Data Storage business line is proud to have set a new milestone in this direction. Since Spring 2004 we offer our customers in DVD rewritable production a solution to recycle spent Ge sputtering targets. Germanium in DVD rewritable stack design The Germanium Nitride layer has two main functions: protecting the phase change layer from sulfur diffusion and enhancing the crystallization behavior of this rewritable active layer. Making the most of Umicore‘s internal synergies, Umicore Thin Film Products has Figure 2: Umicore closed loop Ge recycling Customer sputtering process Collecting of Umicore spent Ge targets Collecting of competitors‘ spent Ge targets De-bonding and weighting Cash credit for our customers Umicore TFP monocrystalline 5N Ge sputtering target, 100% density Figure 1: Example of GeN layer in a DVD RW stack design Mirror Spent targets Dielectric (l2) GeN Phase Change GeN Hydrometallurgy Casting metallurgy Dielectric (l1) Substrate Manufacturing of Ge targets introduced monocrystalline Ge targets to the market, which are produced at our Belgian plant in Olen (Figure 1). While most of our competitors can only propose polycrystalline materials, the unique Umicore monocrystalline quality ensures the specified purity, but also – thanks to its perfect density – the required sputtered layer uniformity. Recycling process of Ge sputtering targets At Umicore TFP, we do not compromise on quality. Each spent target follows the complete chemical refining process. The recovered Ge will be reprocessed to GeO2 before being grown as a high purity crystal, sawed and ground to finally be born again as a brand new sputtering monocrystalline target meeting all required specifications. Targets produced from recycled materials have exactly the same properties and meet the same severe specifications as those produced from virgin materials. Recycling makes economic sense Our customers are of course sensible to environmental aspects related to their production processes, but when ecological awareness meets economic advantage, Umicore TFP really strikes a hit. Umicore closes the loop (Figure 2) and contributes actively to the cost per disc reduction. Our solution is not only a step forward towards sustainable development, it also represents a tangible cost saving for disc producers. Each spent target returned to Umicore generates an immediate and transparent cash refund, supporting our customers in their permanent race for reduced cost per disc. www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 11 Exchange, Learning, and Improving Customer Service Much hard work and an interesting underground experience for the Umicore Thin Film Products sales team at our sales meeting. By Rene Bühler International Marketing and Sales Manager [email protected] For three days in October the new Umicore TFP building was bustling with activity and people from around the world. Our new sales organization (see also Materials Magazine June 2004) got together for its annual meeting – with a long and demanding agenda. Better customer service in every respect This is a tall order, and discussions focused on the way we were able to fulfill our goals since the new sales organization was introduced six months ago. The change was rather challenging, for our customers as well as for our own organization. Today, I have to say that our team has done a great job, and I am conviced our customers will confirm this sentiment.The truly global nature of our business becomes apparent when looking at our sales team. Europe, the US, and Asia are equally represented, and the rich mixture of (working) cultures is a benefit to us all. Ultimately, this also benefits our customers: their partners at Umicore TFP have an understanding of regional and individual needs beyond technology matters and are able to deliver a high level of service accordingly. As well as giving us a great opportunity to exchange experiences from all corners of the world, our international sales meetings are about gaining further knowledge. Intensive product training sessions were scheduled: on coating systems for sputtering and evaporation technologies, manufacturing of coating materials, bonding, and analytics. High-level technical know-how for our sales personnel ensures that customers always have a competent partner at Umicore TFP who understands their specific requirements. The Umicore TFP sales team explores the old iron ore mine of «Gonzen», Switzerland. Connecting with the past A more relaxing evening was spent exploring the materials business of our ancestors. The iron ore mine of Gonzen in Sargans was discovered some 2,000 years ago by the Romans. Until 1966, when production in this last working mine in Switzerland ceased, 90 km of tunnels were driven into the mountain. The «Gonzenexpress», running on the old railway tracks, which used to transport the ore, now transported us to the entrance of the mine, where a very instructive and enjoyable tour and a good traditional meal of «Maccheroni» with a delicious Gonzen wine were waiting for us. Mining technology has come a long way since the old days, but it’s still a tough business – a short glimpse of working conditions underneath the mountain was enough for us, and we were happy to re-emerge into the fresh air of above-the-ground Switzerland. Traditional food and wine under ground 12 | December 2004 Building Our Future Umicore TFP celebrates the opening of the new development, production and office building in Balzers, Liechtenstein. By Markus Schilling Marketing Communications Manager [email protected] Exactly two years On 27th February 2003, the foundation stone for our new building in Balzers was officially laid down. This was also a milestone on the path into the future of Umicore Materials AG and Umicore Thin Film Products. The project began in October 2002, when contracts for the new building were signed. Now we see the completion of a modern building that fully provides for all requirements of high-tech industry in the 21st century. Four floors will be at the disposal of the Umicore Materials AG, integrating production, R&D, laboratories, logistics, and administration under one roof. Great emphasis was also placed on environmental concerns. Air filtering systems and a water treatment plant ensure highly efficient use of resources. Shell construction was finished after just six months, which was celebrated in a traditional «Aufrichte» ceremony in October 2003. Interior construction continued throughout the winter, and after one year all works were The new Umicore Materials AG building in Balzers is built with state of the art, energy-efficient technology, has lots of natural light, and a great view of the surrounding countryside. Celebrating together On Friday, 5th November 2004, the official opening ceremony took place with guests from around the world – customers, suppliers, «This is an important step for us. Improved material flows, simpler communication, and greater transparency will enable a more efficient organization. This new building provides us with an important platform for the future of Umicore TFP..» Ignace deRuijter, Vice President Umicore Thin Film Products: according to schedule. In July 2004, we began the move, and finally we were ready to celebrate – together with our employees, customers, and the local population here in Liechtenstein. local politicians, trade and industry representatives, and top Umicore management. Representing the government of Liechtenstein, Hans-Jörg Frick, Minister of Trade and Industrie, followed our invitation, as did Anton Eberle, the Mayor of Balzers. He expressed his gratitude for Umicore’s confidence in the location of Balzers, where the company provides opportunities for highly qualified and skilled employees. Umicore CEO Thomas Leysen emphasized the importance of Umicore Materials AG to the company’s thin film business and highlighted the importance of recycling as a key element of Umicore’s business model. Customers must be able to return used targets, resulting in more cost effective products and sustainability. Saturday, we opened our doors to the public. We invited local people to see the new building in their neighborhood from www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 13 Thomas Leysen, CEO Umicore S.A: «Umicore aims to contribute to technological advance through sustainable development. Umicore Thin Film Products fits with our vision. I am conviced it has great potential for growth.» the inside and find out about our business. Many employees took the opportunity to show their families around. The offices where with Umicore employees and their families, friends, and neighbors. In total, over 650 people accepted the invitation on our open day. René Bühler, International Marketing and Sales Manager Umicore Thin Film Products: «We will make Umicore Materials AG Balzers a center of excellence for thin film technology.» buzzing with interested visitors touring the building. Exhibition stands explained technologies and products, special programs and a cinema were organized for children, and everyone enjoyed a drink, a snack, and a chat Vision of the future The move to our new and much larger building has brought a lot of advantages for Umicore Thin Film Products. All employees and departments are now gathered under one roof: R&D, laboratories, production, logistics, and administration. They are supported by a modern infrastructure and a lovely view of the countryside surrounding Balzers. The building in a way represents the goals and the vision of Umicore Thin Film Products: commitment to sustainable growth and leadership, to the future, to our customers, our employees, and to the community. Picture left: Cutting the ribbon together (from left to right): Anton Eberle, Mayor of Balzers, Hansjörg Frick, Liechtenstein Minister for Trade and Industry, Thomas Leysen, CEO Umicore S.A., and Ignace de Ruijter, Vice President Umicore TFP. Even the children had some fun on our open day. Umicore TFP employees explain technologies and products to our visitors. An evening buffet was served in the atrium and there was time for a drink and a chat – not only about business. 14 | December 2004 Deposition Technologies, Starting Materials, and Film Properties There is a close interrelation between obtained film properties, used starting materials and applied coating technology including all its parameters. A large number of papers has been published on this topic in various journals. This contribution gives a condensed overview of metal oxide films. By Dr. Hans Pulker University of Innsbruck Austria «Classical» evaporation: CRE (conventional reactive evaporation) Thin films in general, and particularly when produced with conventional evaporation techniques, have a large surface to volume ratio. The extended surface, and consequently low density, has a large influence on film properties. It is also responsible for their environmental instability. These undesirable aspects of film properties, like low refractive index, residual optical absorption, or inhomogeneity, initiated the effort for improving reactive evaporation by ion and plasma assistance. Ion and plasma assistance Various researchers have found that better Ophthalmic plastic lenses during ion assisted process stoichiometric oxide films and therefore lower residual optical absorption can be achieved with mainly activated and partially ionized oxygen gas in the reactive evaporation process. In order to generate activated oxygen, a hollow cathode glow discharge device inside a quartz tube with an aperture in the direction of the substrate was used. The technique is called activated reactive evaporation (ARE). It drastically reduced residual optical absorption. Controlled bombardment of a growing film with oxygen and/or argon ions of energies up to several tenths of electron volt have been shown to improve density, adherence, and stoichiometry. The effects are produced by momentum transfer and forced oxidation. Ion beam techniques can also be applied before (cleaning, surface modification) and after (post deposition treatments) the deposition of the films.This technique is called ion beam-as- Ion plating (RLVIP) plant BAP 800 sisted deposition (IBAD). It is difficult, however, to uniformly bombard larger surface areas simultaneously. This difficulty could be overcome by reactive ion plating technologies. In these techniques, the gaseous components as well as the coating material vapours are ionized and activated to high degrees. All the ionized components are accelerated by special means to the rotating substrates, where dense, well adherent, abrasion-resistant, and environmentally stable films are formed uniformly over the whole substrate holder area. Gas discharge sputtering Reactive magnetron sputtering with all its modern variants may also result in dense, well adherent, and stoichiometric compound films of excellent optical data. Film properties can be modified by electrical energy, gas pressure, and target to substrate distance. Magnetron www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com | 15 sputtering is used to produce optical films and is best suited for coating large flat substrates, e.g. architectural glass. Starting materials In all these cases, the success depends not only on the coating technology but also on the quality and purity of the applied starting materials and/or sputter targets. Careful material treatment and long experience are necessary to obtain a proper starting material quality. For the correct choice of material, metal or chemical compound, advice is available at the material producer. Further experience-based information can be found in PVD literature. Film properties Our technological capability has improved significantly over the last two decades, but the demands on coating performance have risen as well.A large number of optical interference Refractive index of TiO2 films Starting material TiO Ti3O5 TiO Ti TiO Evaporation material and coated substrates systems have been designed and successfully produced.And it is known that in all cases it is easier to design such systems than to produce them. For both, however, besides low optical losses, reproducible and environmentally stable refractive indices are required. In an increasing number of applications optical coatings do not only modify the optical properties of surfaces, but must also serve as protective Refractive index of various CRE oxide films Substrate temperature Refractive index film Refractive index bulk TS (°C) 30 150 200 250 250 300 300 350 400 450 n550 1.91 2.26 2.32 2.38 2.27 2.43 2.47 2.49 2.56 2.64 n550 mean index of Anatase n=2.391 at room temperature mean index of Rutile n=2.726 at room temperature Refractive index n of TiO2 films prepared by conventional reactive evaporation from W-boats as function of substrate temperature TS Starting Film material SiO2 SiO2 Al2O3 Al2O3 ZrO2 ZrO2 Substrate temperature Refractive index TS (°C) 20 300 20 200 300 20 200 250 n550 1.461 1.473 1.535 1.611 1.623 inhomogeneous strong 1.927 slightly 1.944 Refractive index of various oxide films n550 prepared by conventional reactive e-Beam evaporation CRE as function of substrate temperature TS coatings withstanding moisture and other adverse chemical and physical environments. Today, mainly metal oxide coatings, deposited with reactive ion and plasma technologies, are used to meet these requirements. Among them, reactive ion plating processes as reactive low voltage ion plating (RLVIP) and reactive advanced plasma source ion plating (RAPSIP) are the most promising technologies.The tables list refractive indices of a number of important metal oxide films, which were obtained by various coating technologies. As demonstrated, the best results were achieved with ion and plasma processes. References: • H. K. Pulker, Coatings on Glass, 2nd rev. edn, Elsevier, Amsterdam, NL, 1999 • H. K. Pulker, N. Kaiser, Optical Interference Coatings, Springer, Berlin, 2003, particularly chapts. 5, 6, 7, and 15 • C. Amra, N. Kaiser, H. A. Macleod, Advances in Optical Thin Films, Proc. SPIE, St. Etienne, F, vol. 5250, 2003 Characteristics of PVD optical coatings by sputtering or ion-assisted sequences n (550 nm) H DSI [GPa] i [GPa] TiO2 2.20 – 2.60 7 – 12 +0.3 to –0.4 Nb2O5 2.30 – 2.40 Ta2O5 2.10 – 2.25 9 – 12 –0.2 to –0.5 ZrO2 1.95 – 2.15 10 – 15 <–1.5 Al2O3 1.65 – 1.75 20 – 22 –0.2 to –0.6 SiO2 1.43 – 1.47 7– 9 Materials n refractive index 550 nm, H depth sensing indentation (DSI) hardness, i intrinsic stress Optical properties of high vacuum evaporated silicon oxide films Starting Material Deposition methoda evaporation temperature Film composition Film structure, packing density (p), and substrate temperature (TS) Transmittance range (m) < 103cm–1 Refractive index (n), wavelength (m), and substrate temperature (TS) Mechanical and chemical film properties SiO2 E (~ 1600°C) SiO2 Amorphous 0.2 – 9 1.45 – 1.46 (0.55 m) Hard and resistant by SiO SiO B,R (~ 1300°C) B (~ 1300°C) Si2O3 SiO p=0.9 (TS=30°C) deposition on heated sub- p=0.98 (TS=150°C) strate, compressive stress Amorphous Amorphous 0.4 – 9 0.7 – 9 1.55 2.0 (0.55 m) Hard by deposition (TS=30°C) on heated substrate (0.7 m) Hard, tensile stress (TS=30°C) a B=Boat E=electron beam R=reactive deposition in O2 16 | December 2004 SEMICON – a Platform for Different Umicore Business Units Again Umicore demonstrated its power at Semicon West. With a large booth we presented the business units ElectroOptic Materials (EOM), Thin Film Products (TFP), and the business line Electro Packaging Materials (EPM). At Semicon Taiwan, where limited space was available, two smaller booths were used to present TFP and EPM products. During booth shows, the brand name Umicore enjoyed exposure to a large audience of technical and commercial people. EOM presented products such as 300 mm Ge, SOI, and GeOI wafers. TFP showed sputtering targets and evaporation materials for Semiconductor and Microeletronics applications. Solder wire and solder paste for a variety of applications in the electronics segment known as «Microbond» was presented by EPM. By Dr. Dominik Ringer Product Manager Semiconductor Materials [email protected] Replication Expo ‘04 in Guangzhou, China Busy times at Semicon West on the joint exhibition stand of the Umicore business units EOM, EPM, and TFP. Trade shows January – June 2005 Optics Photonics West For the second time Umicore TFP has exBy Christophe Murez hibited at Replication Product Manager Optical Data Storage Expo in China, the [email protected] largest venue in Asia Pacific for the optical media and data storage industries. As a materials supplier Umicore TFP was in great demand at the exhibition, despite the currently challenging market situation for data storage. Our stand was very busy giving an indication of the dynamic Asian market, which we are confident will experience an upturn in the near future. January 22 – 27 San Jose, USA OFC March SVC April 23 – 28 Denver, USA 6 – 11 Anaheim, USA Photonics World May 4 – 6 Singapore Mido May 6 – 9 Milan, Italy Optical Data Storage Media-Tech Expo May 10 – 12 Las Vegas, USA May 2 – 6 San Diego, USA Wear and Decorative Coating ICMCTF Semiconductors/Electronics Semicon China March 15 – 17 Shanghai, China Semicon Europe April 12 – 14 Munich, Germany Semicon Singapore May 4 – 6 Singapore SVC April 23 – 28 Denver, USA Semi FPD Expo Taiwan June Displays & Solar Cells Our team in Guangzhou: Christophe Murez, Tom Liu (Shanghai), Joe Lau (Hong Kong), and René Bühler (from left to right) 8 – 10 Taipei, Taiwan www.thinfilmproducts.umicore.com Umicore Materials AG Umicore Thin Film Products USA Umicore Materials Taiwan Co., Ltd. Umicore Indium Products Alte Landstrasse 8 Postfach 364 FL-9496 Balzers Tel +423 388 73 00 Fax +423 388 74 50 [email protected] Div. of Umicore USA, Inc. 4 Townsend West, Unit 12 Nashua, NH 03063 USA Tel +1 603 594 1500 Fax +1 603 594 1538 [email protected] No. 32, Fushing Road Hsinchu Industrial Park, Hukuo Hsiang Hsinchu Hsien, Taiwan R.O.C. Tel +886 3597 6699 Fax +886 3597 7070 [email protected] 50 Simms Ave Providence, RI 02909, USA Tel +1 401 456 0800 Fax +1 401 421 2419 [email protected]
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