Energy distribution of ions in an unbalanced magnetron plasma measured with energy-resolved mass spectrometry

Kadlec, S.; Quaeyhaegens, C.; Knuyt, G.; Stals, L.M.

doi:10.1016/s0257-8972(96)03088-5

Cited by 66 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…The peak at lower energy in the respective IEDF corresponds to the thermalized ions [23]. The second peak (shoulder) and the high energy tail represent the energy distribution of the sputtered material at the target surface plus any acceleration that might occur in the plasma [24,25]. The HiPIMS conditions with the highest peak power (39 kW) show the highest ion energies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of peak power in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide

Aiempanakit

Helmersson

Aijaz

et al. 2011

Surface and Coatings Technology

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The effect of peak power in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) reactive deposition of TiO 2 films has been studied with respect to the deposition rate and coating properties. With increasing peak power not only the ionization of the sputtered material increases but also their energy. In order to correlate the variation in the ion energy distributions with the film properties, the phase composition, density and optical properties of the films grown with different HiPIMS-parmeters have been investigated and compared to a film grown using direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS). All experiments were performed for constant average power and pulse on time (100W and 35 μs, respectively), different peak powers were achieved by varying the frequency of pulsing. Ion energy distributions for Ti and O and its dependence on the process conditions have been studied. It was found that films with the highest density and highest refractive index were grown under moderate HiPIMS conditions (moderate peak powers) resulting in only a small loss in massdeposition rate compared to DCMS. It was further found that TiO 2 films with anatase and rutile phases can be grown at room temperature without substrate heating and without postdeposition annealing.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of peak power in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide

Aiempanakit

Helmersson

Aijaz

et al. 2011

Surface and Coatings Technology

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“…Maxima of all the energy distributions in Fig. 5 correspond to thermalized ions produced at the plasma potential [27,37]. It is close to ground potential due to a strong unbalance of the used magnetron, prolonging a residence time of electrons in the discharge plasma.…”

Section: Magnetron With a Planar Targetmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Under these conditions (see the perpendicular position of the spectrometer and the low extraction potential) we were not able to detect possible high energy ions in the flux to the substrate. However, the populations of these Cu + and Ar + ions with energies ranging up to several tens of electronvolts are expected to be several orders of magnitude lower than the populations of low energy (thermalized) ions at the used argon pressure p = 1 Pa and target-to-substrate distance d = 100 mm, as it was shown in standard unbalanced dc magnetron discharges [27]. A total mass-dependent transit time of each detected ion through the whole instrument (length 920 mm in our case) was taken into account [28,29] to correct measured time-resolved spectra.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Pulsed dc Magnetron Discharges and their Utilization in Plasma Surface Engineering

Vlček

Musil

2004

Contrib. Plasma Phys.

119

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Fundamental aspects of magnetron operation in two types of practically interesting discharges, i.e. in highpower unipolar pulsed dc magnetron discharges for ionized high-rate sputtering and in asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc magnetron discharges for reactive sputtering, were investigated on the basis of time-resolved plasma diagnostics. We present the results obtained using time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy and time-and energy-resolved mass spectroscopy in high-power unipolar pulsed dc magnetron discharges at a repetition frequency of 1 kHz, an argon pressure of 1 Pa and an average target power loading in a pulse up to 500 W/cm 2 . The main aim was to study complex ionization mechanisms of sputtered Cu atoms and working gas (Ar) atoms, and to characterize energy distributions of Cu + and Ar + ions and their fractions in ion fluxes to a substrate during pulses. Some results achieved with a grooved target at the frequencies up to 50 kHz are discussed. We report also on the results obtained using energy-resolved mass spectroscopy and time-resolved Langmuir probe measurements in asymmetric bipolar pulsed dc magnetron discharges at repetition frequencies of 100 kHz and 350 kHz, an argon pressure of 0.53 Pa and a mean discharge power of 300 W. They explain a complex correlation between the pulsed plasma dynamics and the enhanced ion bombardment of growing films in these discharges. Some new development trends in the field of the dual pulsed dc magnetron sputtering are outlined.

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“…The gas rarefaction effect in DC magnetrons has been simulated by direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method15 in several papers 16–20. The simulations showed steady state including macroscopic movement of the working gas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DSMC method described in ref 18–20. has been modified to simulate transient effects after the impulse starts rather than steady state conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation of Neutral Particle Flow During High Power Magnetron Impulse

Kadlec¹

2007

Plasma Process. Polym.

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The behavior of neutral component of the plasma during high power impulse magnetron sputtering was studied. Movement of the neutral particles including sputtered metal (Ti) and Ar gas during an impulse (200 µs, 1 kA, 1 kV) has been simulated using direct simulation Monte Carlo method. When the discharge current reaches kA range, very strong gas rarefaction in the main plasma region occurs and the volume density of sputtered metal exceeds the gas density several times. This may contribute to the high ratio of metal ions to Ar ions observed in experiments. Rapid gas movement in the form of a shock wave toward the substrate results in a temporary increase in density and pressure of the substrate. This again influences both the deposition flux and the discharge behavior.

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Energy distribution of ions in an unbalanced magnetron plasma measured with energy-resolved mass spectrometry

Cited by 66 publications

References 20 publications

Effect of peak power in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide

Effect of peak power in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering of titanium dioxide

Pulsed dc Magnetron Discharges and their Utilization in Plasma Surface Engineering

Simulation of Neutral Particle Flow During High Power Magnetron Impulse

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