Localized heating of electrons in ionization zones: Going beyond the Penning-Thornton paradigm in magnetron sputtering

Journal Article · Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904713· OSTI ID:22395571

Anders, André ^[1]

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

The fundamental question of how energy is supplied to a magnetron discharge is commonly answered by the Penning-Thornton paradigm invoking secondary electrons. Recently, Huo and coworkers (Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 22, 045005 (2013)) used a global discharge model to show that electron heating in the electric field of the magnetic presheath is dominant over heating by secondary electrons. In this contribution, this concept is applied locally taking into account the electric potential structure of ionization zones. Images of ionization zones can and should be interpreted as diagrams of the localization of high electric potential and related electron energy.

• OSTI ID: 22395571
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 105, Issue 24; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; 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 FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRONS
HEATING
MAGNETRONS
PENNING DISCHARGES
PLASMA
PLASMA SHEATH
SPUTTERING
ZONES