Bipolar HiPIMS for tailoring ion energies in thin film deposition [Elektronisk resurs]

• The effects of a positive pulse following a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) pulse are studied using energy-resolved mass spectrometry. This includes exploring the influence of a 200 mu s long positive voltage pulse (U-rev = 10-150 V) following a typical HiPIMS pulse on the ion-energy distribution function (IEDF) of the various ions. We find that a portion of the Ti+ flux is affected and gains an energy which corresponds to the acceleration over the full potential U-rev. The Ar+ IEDF on the other hand illustrates that a large fraction of the accelerated Ar+, gain energies corresponding to only a portion of U-rev. The Ti+ IEDFs are consistent with the assumption that practically all the TO-, that are accelerated during the reverse pulse, originates from a region adjacent to the target, in which the potential is uniformly increased with the applied potential U-rev while much of the Ar+ originates from a region further away from the target over which the potential drops from U-rev to a lower potential consistent with the plasma potential achieved without the application of U-rev. The deposition rate is only slightly affected and decreases with U-rev, reaching 90% at U-rev = 150 V. Both the Ti IEDF and the small deposition rate change indicate that the potential increase in the region close to the target is uniform and essentially free of electric fields, with the consequence that the motion of ions inside the region is not much influenced by the application of U-rev. In this situation, Ti will flow towards the outer boundary of the target adjacent region, with the momentum gained during the HiPIMS discharge pulse, independently of whether the positive pulse is applied or not. The metal ions that cross the boundary in the direction towards the substrate, and do this during the positive pulse, all gain an energy corresponding to the full positive applied potential U-rev. 

Ämnesord

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Physical Sciences  (hsv)

Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Fysik  (hsv)

Fusion, plasma och rymdfysik  (hsv)

Genre

government publication  (marcgt)

Indexterm och SAB-rubrik

HiPIMS; Sputtering; Plasma