AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Advanced Surface Engineering Wednesday Sessions
       Session SE2-WeA

Paper SE2-WeA6
In-Situ Ellipsometric Studies of HPPMS Deposited Chromium Thin Films

Wednesday, November 15, 2006, 3:40 pm, Room 2007a

Session: Pulsed Plasmas in Surface Engineering
Presenter: S.R. Kirkpatrick, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Authors: S.L. Rohde, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
J. Li, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
S.R. Kirkpatrick, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Chromium thin films have been deposited using high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS). In order to study the sputter etch conditions used to clean surfaces prior to depositions of hard coatings, the films were deposited for 30 minutes with a base pressure of 3mtorr and a large DC substrate bias of -1000V. The substrate bias was run in both the on (-1000V) and off condition and an unbalanced magnetic coil current was run at both 0 and 5 A to observe their effect on the process. The deposition process was monitored at the substrate using a 44 wavelength ellipsometer. Depositions rates varied between 0.5 and 1 Angstroms/second as measured by ellipsometry and confirmed with profilometry. Ellipsometric data indicates initial island growth followed by layer growth. Ellipsometry also indicates increasing roughness during the deposition at about 1 Angstroms/minute. Lower roughness rates and slower deposition rates resulted with magnetic coil assisted depositions.