A process used to apply photovoltaic semi-conductor material to a substrate by a physical vapor deposition process where high-energy ions are used to bombard elemental sources of semiconductor material, which eject vapors of atoms that are then deposited in thin layers on a substrate.
Main Entry: sput·ter Pronunciation: \sp-t -r\ Function: verb Etymology: akin to Dutch sputteren to sputter Date: 1598 transitive verb 1 : to spit or squirt from the mouth with explosive sounds 2 : to utter hastily or explosively in confusion or excitement <"that's ridiculous!" she sputtered>
1 : to spit or squirt particles of food or saliva noisily from the mouth 2 : to speak explosively or confusedly in anger or excitement 3 : to make explosive popping sounds