Description of the thermalization process of the sputtered atoms in a glow discharge using a three-dimensional Monte Carlo method

Abstract

A three-dimensional Monte Carlo model is developed to simulate the thermalization process of atoms sputtered from the cathode in a glow discharge cell. A comparison is made with a simplified analytical thermalization model and the relative importance of different interaction potentials and scattering assumptions on quantities related to thermalization is investigated. Typical results of the thermalization model are (i) the thermalization profile (which gives the distribution of the thermalized sputtered atoms), (ii) the relative amount of atoms that can reach the backplate of the discharge celI without being thermalized, and (iii) the relative amount of backscattering to the cathode. The influence of gas pressure, kind of gas, and cathode material on the thermalization process is also investigated.

Liquid-target reactive magnetron sputter epitaxy of High quality GaN(0001̄) nanorods on Si(111)

“…That leads to relatively large nuclei and relatively large rod diameter. Second, at higher pressures gas phase scattering leads to an increasingly diffused flux, with Ga-losses of partly thermalized sputtered atoms to the chamber walls [27]. Moreover, in a pure reactive gas environment the growth rate decreases because of a reduced sputter yield upon the formation of a nitrided layer on the target surface [21,22].…”

Glow discharge modelling: from basic understanding towards applications

“…They lose this energy, however, rapidly by collisions with the Ar gas atoms until they are thermalized. This thermalization process is described with a Monte-Carlo model, 19 which yields the socalled thermalization profile, i.e. the number of thermalized sputtered atoms as a function of position from the cathode, which is used as input in the next model.…”

Plasma-assisted synthesis and high-resolution characterization of anisotropic elemental and bimetallic core–shell magnetic nanoparticles

“…Subsequent thermalization in the buffer gas is fast and has been predicted to occur after few collisions, as shown analytically and with the help of Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations [28]. The cooling of the metal vapor is dependent on the background gas pressure.…”