Fine plastic foil as backing for sputtered nickel targets.

Anna Stolarz,Raimo Seppälä

doi:10.1007/s10967-013-2648-y

Anna Stolarz, Raimo Seppälä

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-013-2648-y

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Abstract

Targets of 58Ni and 60Ni with areal density between 71 and 105 μg/cm2 backed with polyimide foil of 35–40 μg/cm2 were prepared by sputtering with Ar ions produced by a home made sputtering device at the Target Laboratory, University of Jyväskylä. The efficiency of the procedure was about 20 %.

Highlights

Targets of 58Ni and 60Ni with areal density between 71 and 105 lg/cm2 backed with polyimide foil of 35–40 lg/cm2 were prepared by sputtering with Ar ions produced by a home made sputtering device at the Target Laboratory, University of Jyvaskyla
Introduction strong tendency to roll into tubes when self-supporting. This makes mounting the foils on the target frames when released from substrate very difficult if not impossible. To overcome this problem the thin Ni layer produced by vapour condensation or by sputtering, has to be, when still on the substrate, either strengthened/stiffened by a support with low melting point removable under the beam or has to be produced on the backing which is removed after fixing the foils to the frame
Preparation of self-supporting Ni targets in this thickness range is quite difficult. Ni layers of such thickness can be prepared in high vacuum by vapour deposition on substrate it is difficult to mount the produced foils to frame as Ni foils in this thickness range have a

Summary

Sputtering device

Because of the nickel properties, i.e. its relatively high melting temperature and alloying with metals commonly used as the evaporation crucible nickel should be evaporated either by e-bombardment or e-gun heating or by sputtering. Taking into account the minute amount of the Ni isotopes available for the target preparation and availability of the heating systems, the Ni foils were produced using the small home made sputtering device with sputtering voltage of 10 kV and Ar ions as sputtering projectiles available at the Target Laboratory of Physics Department, University of Jyvaskyla. A short adjustable distance of the sputtered material and the substrate assures the high efficiency of the material collection. J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2014) 299:1133–1136 inhomogeneity that may be caused by this short distance is reduced by the substrate rotation [3]

Ni deposition

On Cu substrate

Small cut on the edge

Results