AVS 49th International Symposium
    Plasma Science Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS-TuP

Paper PS-TuP8
Study of Process Variables and Plasma Parameters during Reactive Sputtering from a Titanium Hollow Cathode Source

Tuesday, November 5, 2002, 5:30 pm, Room Exhibit Hall B2

Session: Plasma Applications
Presenter: A. Pradhan, University of Delaware
Authors: A. Pradhan, University of Delaware
S.I. Shah, University of Delaware
Correspondent: Click to Email
Hollow Cathode Sources offer the advantages of conformal depositions and high target utilization and the ability to coat three-dimensional objects over planar sources. In addition, we have found that Hollow Cathode Sources are more suitable for reactive sputtering of compound materials as they offer stable operation and significantly higher deposition rates. These advantages have been demonstrated by using a titanium Hollow Cathode Source to reactively deposit titania thin films. The target potential and current did not exhibit the hysteresis commonly observed with planar sources. Target charging and the related arcing was not observed, even on the increasing the oxygen concentration in the sputtering gas past the metal-oxide transition point. Thin films were deposited on glass substrates and characterized by XPS and XRD. In addition, Langmuir probe measurements were carried out to determine the variation of the plasma parameters with oxygen concentration in the reactive gas and time. The spatial variation in the plasma parameters was also determined by moving the probe along the long axis of the Hollow Cathode. The electron temperature was close to 1eV, and the plasma potential varied from a few volts below to a few volts above zero. The plasma density was orders of magnitude greater than that obtained in planar sputtering, which would help explain the high deposition rate observed.