AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Advanced Surface Engineering Thursday Sessions
       Session SE1-ThM

Paper SE1-ThM4
Modulated Pulsed Power Generator for High Density Magnetron Discharges

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 9:00 am, Room 2007

Session: Pulsed Plasmas in Surface Engineering
Presenter: W.D. Sproul, Reactive Sputtering Consulting, LLC
Authors: R. Chistyakov, Zond, Inc.
B. Abraham, Zpulser
W.D. Sproul, Reactive Sputtering Consulting, LLC
J.J. Moore, Colorado School of Mines
Correspondent: Click to Email
A unique high power pulsed magnetron plasma generator has been developed to generate high density plasmas for sputtering applications with typical pulse durations in the range of 0.5-5 msec. By creating a combination of weakly-ionized and strongly-ionized plasmas by modulating the cathode voltage within a single pulse, highly ionized plasmas have been produced. Films of aluminum, copper, titanium, aluminum oxide, and titanium nitride have been deposited. The film structure and orientation are a function of the pulse shape and duration and the degree of ionization. Optical emission measurements show that there is a very high degree of ionization of the the sputtered species, and this high degree of ionization promotes the formation of the reactive films. For the aluminum oxide films deposited with an average power of 4.5 kW with a target to substrate distance of 23 cm, the deposition rate was 12 microns per hour. Possible applications for this new high power pulsed sputter deposition technology will be discussed.