Paper TF-ThP24
Effect of Plasma Induced Substrate Temperature Rise on AZO Thin Film Properties in ICP Assisted Bipolar Pulsed dc Magnetron Sputtering

Thursday, October 18, 2007, 5:30 pm, Room 4C

To deposit Al doped Zinc oxide film on polymer substrate at room temperature, internal inductively coupled plasma assisted bipolar pulsed dc magnetron sputtering system was used. Pulse frequency was from 50kHz to 250kHz and duty ratio was between 60 - 90%. ICP was generated by a 2MHz rf generator through an L-type matching network and a ceramic shielded Cu antenna. High density plasma could heat the temperature sensitive polymer by high bombarding ion and electron energy flux. The average electron density and temperature in this experiment was 10¹¹ #/cm³ and 2 - 5 eV by Langmuir probe measurements. The distance between the magnetron sputtering target and substrate must be optimized not to give excessive heat flux to the substrate. Variable frequency pulsed dc plasmas showed wide range of shapes at the same gas pressure and power level. Up to 150kHz, the plasma region was extended as the frequency was increased. At higher frequency than 150kHz, the length of plasmas remained same. We measured the transient temperature changes in the plasma region at four different positions and will discuss the correlations between the pulse frequency and transient temperature rise of a polymer substrate.