AVS 51st International Symposium
    Thin Films Monday Sessions
       Session TF-MoP

Paper TF-MoP9
Deposition of Thin Films on Inclined Surfaces Using Ionized PVD

Monday, November 15, 2004, 5:00 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: M. Lattemann, Linköping University, Sweden
Authors: M. Lattemann, Linköping University, Sweden
J. Alami, Linköping University, Sweden
J. Böhlmark, Linköping University, Sweden
U. Helmersson, Linköping University, Sweden
Correspondent: Click to Email
Titanium thin films were deposited, using a highly ionized flux of deposition material, onto substrates mounted at different angles (@gamma@ = 0, 45, 70, 90, 135, and 180°) with respect to the sputtering source. The results show that dense films were obtained independent of film orientation. In comparison films grown with conventional d.c. magnetron sputtering showed films of low density for @gamma@= 90° and higher angles. The deposition rate decreased in both cases with increasing angle @gamma@, but less so for the ionized deposition flux. The deposition rate, 5 mm from the edge of the sample, was reduced to 66 and 25% at @gamma@ = 90° and @gamma@ = 180°, respectively, in the case of ionized flux. This can be compared with less than 30% for @gamma@ = 90° in case of the non-ionized flux. The ionized-PVD technique used was high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) that is estimated to give an ionization degree of up to 70%. By applying a negative substrate bias the metal ions were attracted to the substrate surface independently of the inclination angle. The energetic ionized deposition flux leads to an effective transfer of kinetic energy to the surface which is the reason for the densification of the films grown using HPPMS. Due to its ease of use, the HPPMS technique is believed to have prospect of becoming an important technique for deposition of, e.g., hard coatings and corrosion resisting coatings onto substrates of complex shapes.