| AVS 55th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Advanced Surface Engineering | Friday Sessions |
| Session SE+PS-FrM |
| Session: | Pulsed Plasmas in Surface Engineering |
| Presenter: | J. Emmerlich, RWTH Aachen University, Germany |
| Authors: | J. Emmerlich, RWTH Aachen University, Germany S. Mráz, RWTH Aachen University, Germany S. Konstantinidis, RWTH Aachen University, Germany R. Snyders, University of Mons, Belgium J.M. Schneider, RWTH Aachen University, Germany |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
In high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS), a large power density is applied giving rise to a high degree of ionization. From an application point of view, the major drawback of this technology is the considerably lower metal deposition rate as compared to DC magnetron sputtering. Using transport-of-ions-in-matter simulations (TRIM), it is shown that the apparently low deposition rate can be understood based on the non-linear energy dependence of the sputtering yields. The simulations are consistent with deposition-rate measurements on Cu films as well as with published deposition rate data for Ti [Konstantinidis et al., J. Appl. Phys. 99, 013307 (2006)]. TRIM simulations in combination with deposition rate experiments as a function of pulse width using Cu, W, and Ti as target materials reveal predominantly self-sputtering during Cu depositions. For W as well as Ti discharges, Ar contributes significantly more to sputtering, which may be explained by the low metal-self-sputtering yield. HPPMS deposition rates during reactive sputtering are reported to be comparable or even larger compared to DC magnetron sputtering rates [Wallin and Helmersson, Thin Solid Films in press]. Target erosion rate measurements for an HPPMS discharge exhibit two orders of magnitude larger erosion rates compared to DC magnetron sputtering.