Substrate surface contamination from dark-space shielding during sputter cleaning

Abstract

Soft x-ray appearance spectroscopy is used to monitor nickel contamination levels in an iron substate during glow discharge sputter cleaning, most severe surface contamination is introduced from an electrically floatting stainless steel shield during dc sputter cleaning. Grounding the shield minimizes the contamination and rf sputtering virttually eliminates it.(AIP)