Planar magnetron with additional plasma confinement

A comparison of internal plasma parameters in a conventional planar magnetron and a magnetron with additional plasma confinement

“…As expected, the electron density decreases with higher distance from the target in both the CM and CM + PM configurations, but close to the target it was at least three times higher in the CM + PM configuration than in the conventional magnetron under the same discharge conditions. The higher ionization efficiency results in a lower pressure for the discharge ignition as has been shown in [10]. The maxima of the electron density above the target correspond to the erosion zone and the electron density profiles become flat with higher distance from the target.…”

“…In our previous paper we have described a new type of planar magnetron with an additional magnetic confinement which can be operated at argon pressures under 10 −1 Pa [10]. The aim of this paper is to compare the internal plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature, electron density, plasma and floating potentials and the electron energy distribution function (EEDF), measured in various positions between the target and substrate in a conventional magnetron (CM) and in this new magnetron with the additional plasma confinement (CM + PM).…”

Investigation of the time evolution of plasma parameters in a pulsed magnetron discharge

“…Density of sputtered particles can be increased by ionisation of the plasma at the target region. For this reason magnetrons are often modified e. g. by additional rf (radiofrequency) and mw (microwave) component [2], by plasma confinement [3], by additional magnetic field plasma confinement [4] or simply by using two magnetrons working in dual sputtering system [5]. Other way how to deliver higher power density into the discharge is operating of magnetrons in pulsed regime.…”