Drifting potential humps in ionization zones: The “propeller blades” of high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Mon Sep 30 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4823827· OSTI ID:22217948

Anders, André; Ni, Pavel ^[1]; Panjan, Matjaž ^[1]; Franz, Robert ^[1]; Andersson, Joakim ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Ion energy distribution functions measured for high power impulse magnetron sputtering show features, such as a broad peak at several 10 eV with an extended tail, as well as asymmetry with respect to E×B, where E and B are the local electric and magnetic field vectors, respectively. Here it is proposed that those features are due to the formation of a potential hump of several 10 V in each of the traveling ionization zones. Potential hump formation is associated with a negative-positive-negative space charge that naturally forms in ionization zones driven by energetic drifting electrons.

• OSTI ID: 22217948
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 14; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ASYMMETRY
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRON DRIFT
ENERGY SPECTRA
EV RANGE
IONIZATION
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETRONS
PEAKS
PLASMA
POTENTIALS
PROCESSING
PULSES
SPACE CHARGE
SPUTTERING
VECTORS
ZONES