ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns the deposition by evaporative condensation and sputtering of thin films, the thickness of which may range from approximately ten nanometers to several tens of microns. These plasma-related deposition technologies are essential to several major industries, as well as a wide range of niche applications. Plasma-related sputtering and evaporative condensation technologies are used to deposit thin films for microelectronic circuit fabrication, optical coatings, recording media, ornamental brightwork, protective coatings, and many other applications. Some processes used to deposit thin films, including gilding and wet chemical deposition methods, originated before the Industrial Revolution. The deposition of electroplated thin films using electrotechnology originated with Michael Faraday in the early 19th century and thermal evaporation methods that require high-vacuum systems were introduced commercially in the early 20th century. In terms of total value-added cash flow of the product, the plasma-assisted deposition of thin films for microelectronic circuit fabrication is the most important application of this technology.
