From Lab to Fab: The Rise of HiPIMS in Semiconductor Manufacturing

By WALDEMAR SCHÖNBERGER, WAHYU DIYATMIKA, MARKUS BERENDT and FRANK BENECKE, VON ARDENNE GmbH

High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) produces denser, better-adhering films than conventional sputtering, but scaling it to 200mm-plus substrates and inline production takes more than turning up the power. Authors from VON ARDENNE describe the engineering investment needed to move the technique from the lab into high-volume manufacturing.

Time-resolved oscillographic monitoring of voltage and current within each pulse is essential for reproducing a process across tools and batches, they argue. Hardware needs low-inductance feed lines, programmable pulse shaping, fast arc handling and careful target cooling, while synchronized substrate biasing lets engineers accelerate ions when their flux peaks, improving film density, interfaces and step coverage.

One promising application is through-glass via (TGV) metallization in advanced packaging, where HiPIMS turns sputtering into a partially ion-controlled process for conformal titanium adhesion and copper seed layers. The authors outline a path from pilot retrofit to validated production over two to four years, treating scale-up as a system engineering effort.

Click here to read the full article in Semiconductor Digest magazine.

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