ST6843 Silicon (Si) Rotary Sputtering Target

Complete Technical Specifications & Capabilities

Comprehensive specifications for high-volume silicon film deposition in display and photovoltaic manufacturing.

Technical & Application Deep Dive

1. The Display Industry Backbone: Silicon for TFT Arrays

Silicon rotary targets are indispensable in the manufacturing of Flat Panel Displays (FPDs):

• Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) Layers: Sputtered silicon films form the active semiconductor layer (typically a-Si or µc-Si) and the heavily doped source/drain contact layers in the TFTs that control each pixel in LCD and OLED displays.
• Why Rotary Targets for Displays? Display glass substrates have grown to Gen 10.5 (3370×2940 mm). Rotary targets provide the necessary thickness uniformity (<±3%) across these vast areas and the ultra-high purity required to prevent TFT performance variation and yield loss.
• Doping for Functionality: Targets are supplied with precise doping (e.g., Phosphorus for n⁺ layers) to achieve the required electrical conductivity for Ohmic contacts.

2. Photovoltaics: Depositing Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

In the solar industry, silicon rotary targets enable cost-effective production:

• Thin-Film Silicon (TF-Si) Solar Cells: Used to deposit the p-i-n layers of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) in tandem or multi-junction solar cell structures on glass or flexible substrates.
• Advantages for PV: The high material utilization of rotary targets directly lowers the cost per watt of the deposited silicon. The uniformity ensures consistent cell performance across large panel areas.
• Reactive Sputtering for Silicon Compounds: By introducing nitrogen or oxygen, the same Si target can be used to deposit silicon nitride (SiN_x) anti-reflection/passivation layers or silicon oxide (SiO_x) barrier layers, streamlining the PV production toolset.

3. Semiconductor & Advanced Applications

Beyond displays and PV, silicon targets serve specialized functions:

• Semiconductor Barrier & Etch-Stop Layers: Silicon films can be used as etch-stop layers or as part of advanced metallization schemes.
• Optical Coatings: Sputtered silicon, due to its high refractive index in the IR, is used in specialized optical filters and coatings. It is also the precursor for SiO₂ and SiN_x coatings via reactive sputtering.
• Research on Novel Materials: Used in co-sputtering systems to synthesize silicon-based alloys, silicides, or high-entropy alloys for exploratory research.

4. Critical Advantages of the Rotary Design

The rotary configuration solves key production challenges:

• Unmatched Uniformity for Large Areas: The linear erosion profile of a rotating cylinder translates to highly uniform deposition over very wide substrates, which is physically difficult to achieve with a planar target.
• Dramatically Extended Target Life: The entire cylindrical surface is utilized, leading to much longer production runs between target changes, increasing equipment uptime.
• Suppression of Nodules & Arcing: Continuous surface movement helps prevent the buildup of insulating nodules (common in reactive sputtering), resulting in a more stable plasma with fewer defects-generating arcs.
• Efficient Cooling: The tubular design allows for effective internal cooling, enabling higher power operation for increased deposition rates without target overheating.

Quality Assurance & Manufacturing

Stanford Advanced Materials employs a precision manufacturing process tailored for large-format rotary targets:

• High-Purity Ingot Casting: Using semiconductor-grade polysilicon feedstock to control bulk impurities and achieve desired doping uniformity.
• Precision Boring & Grinding: CNC machining ensures critical dimensional tolerances for OD, ID, wall thickness, concentricity, and straightness, which are vital for balanced rotation and stable film properties.
• Resistivity & Doping Uniformity Mapping: The resistivity of the target is mapped along its length and circumference to ensure consistent electrical properties, which translates to stable sputtering rates.
• Surface Conditioning: Special etching or cleaning processes are used to remove machining damage and prepare a surface that minimizes initial particulate generation during the target conditioning (“burn-in”) phase.
• Dynamic Balancing: Completed targets are balanced to ensure smooth, vibration-free operation at typical rotational speeds.

Why Choose SAM for Your Silicon Rotary Targets?

• Industry-Proven for High-Volume Manufacturing: Our targets are designed to meet the rigorous demands of 24/7 display and solar panel production lines.
• Full-Range Purity & Doping Control: We supply everything from cost-effective 3N purity for some PV applications to ultra-high 6N purity for advanced semiconductor R&D, with precise doping control.
• Mastery of Large-Format Target Fabrication: We specialize in manufacturing large-diameter, long-length tubular targets required for modern coating systems.
• Technical Collaboration: We work as partners with equipment manufacturers and end-users to optimize target specifications for specific process windows and film property goals.

Next Steps: Get a Custom Quote

To receive a formal quotation or technical consultation, please provide:

1. Your coating system model or required rotary target dimensions (OD, ID, Length).
2. Material specification: Purity grade, doping type and target resistivity (or film sheet resistance goal).
3. Primary application (e.g., TFT a-Si layer, PV intrinsic layer, semiconductor research).
4. Annual volume requirements or project scale.