ABSTRACT
Sputtering and sputter deposition are widely used techniques for the erosion of surfaces and the deposition of films. Sputtering, also known as sputter etching, is used for patterning semiconductor wafers, for cleaning surfaces, for micromachining, depth profiling, and a number of applications which require careful, microscopic erosion of a surface. Sputter deposition is used for film deposition on semiconductor wafers, on magnetic media and head surfaces, for coating tools and cutting surfaces for wear resis tance (this includes, by the way, such tools as shaving razors), for reflec tive coatings on window glass, for coating the insides of plastic bags and the surfaces of automobile parts, and a number of other wide ranging applications.
