| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Advanced Surface Engineering Division | Thursday Sessions |
| Session SE+PS-ThM |
| Session: | Plasma-assisted Surface Modification and Deposition Processes |
| Presenter: | Ivan Shchelkanov, Starfire Industries LLC |
| Authors: | I.A. Shchelkanov, Starfire Industries LLC T.J. Houlahan, Starfire Industries LLC J. McLain, Starfire Industries LLC I.F. Haehnlein, Starfire Industries LLC B.E. Jurczyk, Starfire Industries LLC R. Stubbers, Starfire Industries LLC D.E. Barlaz, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign D.N. Ruzic, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Low-pressure magnetron sputtering is a well-established industry standard for high quality thin film deposition. Among different types of magnetron sputtering, High Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering (HPPMS), also called High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HIPIMS), offers the highest ion fraction of sputtered material, which dramatically increases the options available for thin film synthesis. The highly ionized sputtered material assists in multilayer film growth leading to more adhesive, dense, and smoother films as compared to conventional DC Magnetron Sputtering (dcMS) techniques, without the need for extra plasma-assisting elements and techniques in the process. Unfortunately, HPPMS typically suffers from low deposition rates as compared to dcMS[1]. Various attempts have been made to overcome this drawback, among them are: more efficient magnetic field configurations [2-6], HPPMS operation with extreme target conditions [7,8], or the application of a pulsed positive bias onto the sputtered target to control the plasma potential after the main HPPMS pulse [9]. Operation with a positive voltage KICK at the end of the main HPPMS pulse allows for the deposition of multilayer coatings onto a cold, grounded substrate with better adhesion than is typical of a simple HPPMS discharge. Furthermore, for grounded substrates positioned at glancing angles with respect to the sputtered magnetron cathode, the deposited coatings exhibit a very dense structure and great adhesion to the substrate even when deposited onto the inside wall of high aspect ratio vias. To fully understand limits, effects, and drawbacks of the positive KICK, its influence on plasma parameters, deposition rate, coatings structure, and adhesion are discussed.
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