The Direct Plated Copper (DPC) technique employs the Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) method known as Sputtering. This involves bombarding a sputtering target with plasma ions under high temperature and pressure conditions, which causes the particles to enter the gas phase. The resulting vapor then condenses onto the substrate surface, forming a very thin and firmly adhered layer of copper. Sputtering is a type of Thin Film technology within the PVD class, which enables the uniform application of various substances like metals, alloys, oxides, and nitrides onto diverse substrates such as ceramic substrates, semiconductor wafers and architectural glass.
Sputtering is widely used in various industries as a standard coating technique due to its economic deposition method and the ability to deposit a multitude of different materials onto a wide variety of substrates. This popularity stems from the fact that it is a versatile and effective technique.