On the film density using high power impulse magnetron sputtering, 2010, SURFACE and COATINGS TECHNOLOGY, (205) AbstractThe influence on thin film density using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) has been investigated for eight different target materials (Al, Ti, Cr, Cu, Zr, Ag, Ta, and Pt).The density values as well as deposition rates have been compared to results obtained from thin films grown by direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS) under the same experimental conditions. Overall, it was found that the HiPIMS deposited coatings were approximately 5-15 % denser compared to the DCMS deposited coatings. This could be attributed to the increased metal ion bombardment commonly seen in HiPIMS discharges, which also was verified using a global plasma model to assess the degree of ionization of 2 sputtered metal. One key feature is that the momentum transfer between the growing film and the incoming metal ions is very efficient due to the equal mass of film and bombarding species, leading to a less pronounced columnar microstructure. As expected the deposition rates were found to be lower for HiPIMS compared to DCMS. For several materials this decrease is not as pronounced as previously reported in the literature, which is shown in the case of Ta, Pt, and Ag with rate HiPIMS /rate DCMS ~ 70-85 %, while still achieving denser coatings.

Due to the very limited availability of B 4 C targets in an Ar discharge, using an industrial deposition system. The films were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, elastic recoil detection analysis, x-ray reflectivity, and neutron radiography. We show that the film-substrate adhesion and film purity are improved by increased substrate temperature and deposition rate. A deposition rate of 3.8 Å /s and substrate temperature of 400 C result in films with a density close to bulk values and good adhesion to film thickness above 3 lm. Boron-10 contents of almost 80 at. % are obtained in 6.3 m 2 of 1 lm thick 10 B 4 C thin films coated on Al-blades. Initial neutron absorption measurements agree with Monte Carlo simulations and show that the layer thickness, number of layers, neutron wavelength, and amount of impurities are determining factors. The study also shows the importance of having uniform layer thicknesses over large areas, which for a full-scale detector could be in total $1000 m

Epitaxial growth of sp 2 -hybridized boron nitride (sp 2 BN) films on sapphire substrates is demonstrated in a hot wall chemical vapor deposition reactor at the temperature of 1500 °C, using triethyl boron and ammonia as precursors. The influence of the main important process parameters, temperature, N/B ratio, B/H 2 ratio, and carrier gas composition on the quality of the grown layers is investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction shows that epitaxial rhombohedral BN (r-BN) film can be deposited only in a narrow process parameter window; outside this window either turbostratic-BN or amorphous BN is favored if BN is formed. In addition, a thin strained AlN buffer layer is needed to support epitaxial growth of r-BN film on sapphire since only turbostratic BN is formed on sapphire substrate. The quality of the grown film is also affected by the B/H 2 ratio as seen from a change of the spacing between the basal planes as revealed by X-ray diffraction. Time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis shows an enhancement of the C and O impurities incorporation at lower growth temperatures. The gas phase chemistry for the deposition is discussed as well as the impact of the growth rate on the quality of the BN film.

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