TiN films were deposited using High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS) enabled four cathode industrial size coating system equipped with HIPIMS power supplies. The standard version of this system allows control over the ion bombardment during coating growth by varying the strength of the electromagnetic field of the unbalancing coils and bias voltage applied to the substrate. The coatings were produced in different coating growth conditions achieved in combined HIPIMS-direct current (DC) unbalanced magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS/UBM) processes where HIPIMS was used as an additional tool to manipulate the ionisation degree in the plasma. Four cathode combinations were explored with increasing contribution of HIPIMS namely 4UBM (pure UBM), 1HIPIMS+ 3UBM, 2HIPIMS+2UBM and 2HIPIMS (pure HIPIMS) to deposit TiN coatings. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements were carried out to examine the plasma generated by the various combinations of HIPIMS and UBM cathodes. The micro-structural study was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used to calculate the residual stress and texture parameter. It has been revealed that the residual stress can be controlled in a wide range from-0.22 GPa to-11.67 GPa by intelligent selection of the degree of HIPIMS utilisation, strength of the electromagnetic field of the unbalancing coils and the bias voltage applied to the substrate while maintaining the stoichiometry of the coatings. The effect of the degree of HIPIMS utilisation on the microstructure, texture and residual stress is discussed. Combining HIPIMS with dc-UBM sputtering is also seen as an effective tool for improving the productivity of the deposition process.

Defect growth in multilayer chromium nitride/niobium nitride coatings produced by combined high power impulse magnetron sputtering and unbalance magnetron sputtering technique. Thin Solid Films, 636, 558-566.

No abstract

Transition-metal nitrides have received significant interest for use within plasmonic and optoelectronic devices because of their tunability and environmental stability. However, the deposition temperature remains a significant barrier to widespread adoption through the integration of transition-metal nitrides as plasmonic materials within complementary metal− oxide−semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication processes. Binary, ternary, and layered plasmonic transition-metal nitride thin films based on titanium and niobium nitride are deposited using highpower impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) technology. The increased plasma densities achieved in the HIPIMS process allow thin films with high plasmonic quality to be deposited at CMOScompatible temperatures of less than 300 °C. Thin films are deposited on a range of industrially relevant substrates and displaytunable plasma frequencies in the ultraviolet to visible spectral ranges. Strain-mediated tunability is discovered in layered films compared to that in ternary films. The thin film quality, combined with the scalability of the deposition process, indicates that HIPIMS deposition of nitride films is an industrially viable technique and can pave the way toward the fabrication of next-generation plasmonic and optoelectronic devices.

Abstract. Sputtering magnetic materials with magnetron based systems has the disadvantage of field quenching and variation of alloy composition with target erosion. The advantage of eliminating magnetic fields in the chamber is that this enables sputtered particles to move along the electric field more uniformly. Inductively coupled impulse sputtering (ICIS) is a form of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) without a magnetic field where a high density plasma is produced by a high power radio frequency (RF) coil in order to sputter the target and ionise the metal vapour. In this emerging technology, the effects of power and pressure on the ionisation and deposition process are not known. The setup comprises of a 13.56 MHz pulsed RF coil pulsed with a duty cycle of 25 % . A pulsed DC voltage of 1900 V was applied to the cathode to attract Argon ions and initiate sputtering. Optical emission spectra (OES) for Cu and Ti neutrals and ions at constant pressure show a linear intensity increase for peak RF powers of 500 W -3400 W and a steep drop of intensity for a power of 4500 W.Argon neutrals show a linear increase for powers of 500 W -2300 W and a saturation of intensity between 2300 W -4500 W. The influence of pressure on the process was studied at a constant peak RF power of 2300 W. With increasing pressure the ionisation degree increased. The microstructure of the coatings shows globular growth at 2.95×10 -2 mbar and large-grain columnar growth at 1.2×10 -1 mbar. Bottom coverage of unbiased vias with a width of 0.360 µm and aspect ratio of 2.5:1 increased from 15 % to 20 % for this pressure range. The current work has shown that the concept of combining a RF powered coil with a magnet-free high voltage pulsed DC powered cathode is feasible and produces very stable plasma. The experiments have shown a significant influence of power and pressure on the plasma and coating microstructure.