Phasic discharge characteristics in high power pulsed magnetron sputtering

Wu Zhong-Zhen; Tian Xiu-Bo; Li Chun-Wei; Ricky K. Y.; Fu; Pan Feng

doi:10.7498/aps.63.175201

Abstract

As one of the burgeoning physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques, high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS), which boasts high ionization rates of sputtered materials and does not suffer from macro-particles, has been investigated extensively recently. Herein, a new method to break down the discharge current into different characteristic components is employed to study the changes of the various parameters as the target voltage is increased at different pressure. Results show a phasic HPPMS discharge when the target voltage is increased, exhibiting an alternate rise of the peak and the platform of the target current. A small change at the discharge stage is observed with increasing pressure, and some stages are missing in some instances. Five discharge stages are found to correspond to the discharge of Ar atoms, Cr atoms, Ar ions, Cr ions, as well as multiply-charged Ar and Cr ions, respectively, according to the optical emission spectra obtained from the HPPMS discharge plasma. Adjacent discharge stages are also found to overlap under certain discharge conditions.

Keywords:

high power pulsed magnetron sputtering /
discharge target current /
gas pressure /
phasic discharge

Authors and contacts

1.
School of Advanced Materials, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China;
2.
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding Production and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China;
3.
Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Funds: Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51301004, U1330110), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2013M530010), and the State Key Lab of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, China (Grant No. AWJ-M13-13).

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Cited By

[1]	Tian M B 2006 Thin Film Technologies and Materials (Beijing: Tsinghua University Press) p445 (in Chinese)[田民波2006薄膜技术与薄膜材料(北京: 清华大学出版社)第445页]
[2]	Yang D, Zhong N, Shang H L, Sun S Y, Li G Y 2013 Acta Phys. Sin. 62 36801 (in Chinese)[杨铎, 钟宁, 尚海龙, 孙士阳, 李戈扬 2013 62 36801]
[3]
[4]
[5]	Wang Y J, Li H X, Ji L, Liu X H, Wu Y X, Zhou H D, Chen J M 2012 Chin. Phys. B 21 016101
[6]	Posadowski W M 1995 Vacuum 46 1017
[7]
[8]
[9]	Xu J, Ma T C, Lu W Q, Xia Y L, Deng X L 2000 Chin. Phys. Lett. 17 586
[10]	Kouznetsov V, Maca'k K, Schneider J M, Helmersson U, Petrov I 1999 Surf. Coat. Technol. 122 290
[11]
[12]	Yukimura K, Ehiasarian A P 2010 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 11 3005
[13]
[14]
[15]	Bohlmark J, Gudmundsson J T, IEEE M, Alami J, Latteman M, Helmersson U 2005 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 33 346
[16]
[17]	Bohlmark J, Alami J, Christou C, Ehiasarian A P, Helmersson U 2005 J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 23 18
[18]	Mu Z X, Mu X D, Wang C, Jia L, Dong C 2011 Acta Phys. Sin. 60 15204 (in Chinese)[牟宗信, 牟晓东, 王春, 贾莉, 董闯 2011 60 15204]
[19]
[20]	Anders A, Andersson J Ehiasarian A P 2007 J. Appl. Phys. 102 113303
[21]
[22]	Wang T, Jiang Y D, Yu H, Wu Z M, Zhao H N 2011 Chin. Phys. B 20 038101
[23]
[24]	Magnus F, Sveinsson O B, Olafsson S Gudmundsson J T 2011 J. Appl. Phys. 110 083306
[25]
[26]	Duan W Z 2010 Master Dissertation (Harbin: Harbin Institute of Technology) (in Chinese)[段伟赞2010 硕士学位论文(哈尔滨: 哈尔滨工业大学)]
[27]
[28]	Tian X B, Wu Z Z, Shi J W, Li X P, Gong C Z, Yang S Q 2010 Chin. Vac. 47 44 (in Chinese)[田修波, 吴忠振, 石经纬, 李希平, 巩春志, 杨士勤 2010 真空 47 44]
[29]
[30]
[31]	Du Y Q, Liu W Y, Zhu A M, Li X S, Zhao T L, Liu Y X, Gao F, Xu Y, Wang Y N 2013 Acta Phys. Sin. 62 205208 (in Chinese)[杜永权, 刘文耀, 朱爱民, 李小松, 赵天亮, 刘永新, 高飞, 徐勇, 王友年 2013 62 205208]
[32]	Li Y P, Liu Z T 2009 Acta Phys. Sin. 58 5022 (in Chinese)[李阳平, 刘正堂 2009 58 5022]
[33]
[34]
[35]	Ma J, Pu Y K 2003 Chin. Phys. Lett. 20 1527
[36]
[37]	Gao F, Li X C, Zhao S X, Wang Y N 2012 Chin. Phys. B 21 075203
[38]	Ehiasarian A P, New R, M. unz W-D, Hultman L, Helmersson U, Kouznetsov V 2002 Vacuum 65 147
[39]
[40]	Ehiasarian A P, Gonzalvo Y A, Whitmore T D 2007 Plasma Processes Polym. 4 S309
[41]
[42]
[43]	Wu Z Z, Tian X B, Duan W Z, Gong C Z, Yang S Q 2010 Chin. J. Mater. Res. 24 561 (in Chinese)[吴忠振, 田修波, 段伟赞, 巩春志, 杨士勤 2010 材料研究学报 24 561]
[44]
[45]	Oks E, Anders A 2009 J. Appl. Phys. 105 09330401
[46]	Carsten E, George C, Chan G, Buscher W, Hieftje G M 2008 Spectrochim. Acta, Part B 7 619
[47]
[48]
[49]	Horwat D, Anders A 2008 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 135210
[50]
[51]	Andersson J, Ehiasarian A P, Anders A 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 93 071504
[52]	Benzeggouta D, Hugon M C, Bretagne J, Ganciu M 2009 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 18 04502501
[53]
[54]	Dunger T, Welzel T, Welzel S, Richter F 2005 Surf. Coat. Technol. 200 1676
[55]
[56]
[57]	Anders A 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 92 201501
[58]
[59]	Kadlec S 2007 Plasma Processes Polym. 4 S419

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Vol. 63, Issue 17 - 2014-09-05

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