A novel high-power pulse PECVD method

Abstract

A novel plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) technique has been developed in order to combine energetic particle bombardment and high plasma densities found in ionized PVD with the advantages from PECVD such as a high deposition rate and the capability to coat complex and porous surfaces. In this PECVD method, an ionized plasma is generated above the substrate by means of a hollow cathode discharge. The hollow cathode is known to generate a highly ionized plasma and the discharge can be sustained in direct current (DC) mode, or in high-power pulsed (HiPP) mode using short pulses of a few tens of µs. The latter option is similar to the power scheme used in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), which is known to generate a high degree of ionization of the sputtered material, and thus providing new and added means for the synthesis of tailor-made thin films. In this work amorphous carbon coatings containing copper, have been deposited using both HiPP and DC operating conditions. Investigations of the bulk plasma using optical emission spectroscopy verify the presence of Ar suggest that a more efficient PECVD process is obtained by using a superposition of HiPP and DC mode, compared to using only DC mode at the same average input power.

Improvement of the Wear and Corrosion Behaviors of DLC/oxynitriding Duplex-treated PM60 High-speed Steel <i>via</i> Various Power Densities of DC-pulsed Plasma Enhanced CVD

“…One elegant way to obtain uniform film thicknesses even in geometries that require deep infiltration is pulsed PECVD. 8,9) In addition, it has been reported that the negative DC pulsed bias voltage is applied to the substrate, is effective to improve the DLC adhesion, where specimens on the substrate can be controlled by the conditions of the pulse bias. [10][11][12][13] In order to improve the corrosion and wear resistances, thus the research uses duplex surface treatment to increase the tool life of PM60 high-speed steel.…”

Influence of pulse power amplitude on plasma properties and film deposition in high power pulsed plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

“…6 Also a higher deposition rate for the same flow of precursor gas and the same time averaged power when using a combination of HiPP þ DC compared to DC power has been observed. 6 In combination, these observations point toward an increased dissociation of the precursor gas molecules likely due to an increased plasma density for HiPP-PECVD as compared to DC-driven PECVD. In addition, during deposition of alumina films a lower deposition temperature for a-alumina was allowed by the use of HiPP-PECVD.…”

“…6 In the reactor, the plasma is generated by a hollow cathode discharge in a copper cathode placed in the top lid of the reaction chamber over the substrate. The cathode-substrate distance was 30 mm.…”

Time as the Fourth Dimension: Opening up New Possibilities in Chemical Vapor Deposition

“…48 Carbon films where studied where only one precursor, a simple hydrocarbon, was used along with a plasma gas (in this case argon). It was found that a higher deposition rate was obtained from the same flow of precursor and the same amount of supplied time-averaged power when part of the power was supplied in the form of high power pulses.…”