A simple-to-use basic sputter coater for gold coating of SEM specimens.

Property Development Programs. EM-Tec Disc or Annular Sputter Targets for EM Sputter Coaters High Quality, High Purity Sputter Targets • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Introduction The high purity EM-Tec sputter targets are compatible with a wide variety of desk top sputter coaters. The sputter coaters are used to sputter a very thin layer of conductive metal on non-conductive sample in order to investigate these samples with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The EM-Tec sputter targets are compatible with the following sputter coaters, ion beam coaters or cryo-SEM preparation systems brands: Agar, Anatech/Technics, Bal-Tec, Bio-Rad, Cressington, Denton, Edwards, Emitech, EMS, Emscope, Fisons, Gatan, Hummer, ISI, JEOL, Leica, Polaron, Quorum, Safematic, SPI, Thermo and VG Microtech. Targets are relatively expensive due to the high purity of the precious metals which require multiple refining steps. A purity of 99.99% or close is desired to avoid any artefacts either in imaging or with EDX analysis. The target material you are using because it is installed in the sputter coater might not be best choice and there are alternatives for many applications. Depending on your application, there is a choice of coating materials, see: EM-Tec Disc Type Sputter Targets.

Sputter coating is a widely used technique for depositing thin layers of conductive metal onto non-conducting (or semiconducting) specimens prior to observation with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Sputtering is also used in a diverse range of thin film applicatons. Sputtering coating targets are available in a wide range of metals. They can be relatively expensive due to the high purity of the precious metals which require multiple refining steps. For most sputter coater metals a purity of 99.99%, or close to, is required to avoid artefacts, either during SEM imaging or with EDX analysis.

It is worth stressing that the sputtering target material originally installed with your sputter coater might not now be best choice for current applications. Our Sputtering target metal selection guide below gives a listing of the relative merits of each alternative metal.