High power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges: Instabilities and plasma self-organization

Journal Article · Mon Mar 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3692172· OSTI ID:22025471

Ehiasarian, A P; New, R ^[1]; Hecimovic, A; Arcos, T de los; Schulz-von der Gathen, V; Boeke, M; Winter, J ^[2]

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1. HIPIMS Technology Centre, Sheffield-Hallam University, Sheffield (United Kingdom)
2. Institute of Experimental Physics II, Ruhr-University Bochum (Germany)

We report on instabilities in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas which are likely to be of the generalized drift wave type. They are characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron and cause periodic shifts in floating potential. The azimuthal mode number m depends on plasma current, plasma density, and gas pressure. The structures rotate in E-vectorxB-vector direction at velocities of {approx}10 km s{sup -1} and frequencies up to 200 kHz. Collisions with residual gas atoms slow down the rotating wave, whereas increasing ionization degree of the gas and plasma conductivity speeds it up.

• OSTI ID: 22025471
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EMISSIVITY
GLOW DISCHARGES
IONIZATION
KHZ RANGE
MAGNETRONS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PLASMA PRESSURE
PULSES
SPUTTERING
WAVE PROPAGATION