Ion mass spectrometry investigations of the discharge during reactive high power pulsed and direct current magnetron sputtering of carbon in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2}

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4733692· OSTI ID:22089290

Schmidt, S.; Greczynski, G.; Jensen, J.; Hultman, L. ^[1]; Czigany, Zs. ^[2]

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1. Thin Film Physics Div., Department of Physics (IFM), Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 (Sweden)
2. Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly Thege Miklos ut 29-33. H-1121 Budapest (Hungary)

Ion mass spectrometry was used to investigate discharges formed during high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) of a graphite target in Ar and Ar/N{sub 2} ambient. Ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) were recorded in time-averaged and time-resolved mode for Ar{sup +}, C{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, N{sup +}, and C{sub x}N{sub y}{sup +} ions. An increase of N{sub 2} in the sputter gas (keeping the deposition pressure, pulse width, pulse frequency, and pulse energy constant) results for the HiPIMS discharge in a significant increase in C{sup +}, N{sup +}, and CN{sup +} ion energies. Ar{sup +}, N{sub 2}{sup +}, and C{sub 2}N{sup +} ion energies, in turn, did not considerably vary with the changes in working gas composition. The HiPIMS process showed higher ion energies and fluxes, particularly for C{sup +} ions, compared to DCMS. The time evolution of the plasma species was analyzed for HiPIMS and revealed the sequential arrival of working gas ions, ions ejected from the target, and later during the pulse-on time molecular ions, in particular CN{sup +} and C{sub 2}N{sup +}. The formation of fullerene-like structured CN{sub x} thin films for both modes of magnetron sputtering is explained by ion mass-spectrometry results and demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy as well as diffraction.

• OSTI ID: 22089290
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 112, Issue 1; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ARGON IONS
CARBON IONS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DEPOSITION
DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRON DIFFRACTION
ENERGY SPECTRA
GRAPHITE
MASS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MOLECULAR IONS
NITROGEN IONS
PULSES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TIME RESOLUTION
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY