Ion energy distributions have been measured with an energy‐dispersive mass spectrometer during magnetron sputtering of Al doped ZnO. A d.c. and a pulsed d.c. discharge have been investigated. Different positive ions from the target material have been observed with low energies in d.c. and a second energy peak of about 30 eV in pulsed d.c. with only weak additional energy due to the sputter process. Negative ions are mainly O− with energies corresponding to the target voltage of several 100 eV. They originate from the target and barely from the (O2) gas and hit the substrate opposite the race track. In pulsed d.c., due to the varying target voltage, energies of up to 500 eV have been observed. With increasing pressure, negative ions at the substrate are reduced exponentially in their density but not in their energy.

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Magnetron‐sputtered oxide films are widely used for industrial applications. Especially the coating of large substrate areas implies the requirement for reliable and lateral homogeneous film properties. However, the inhomogeneous distribution of the sputter rate as well as cross‐corner and cross‐magnetron effects may reduce the functional film performance. Therefore, we have investigated the electrical, optical and structural film properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films in relation to the physical process properties. The films were deposited using a reactive AC dual magnetron discharge and In:Sn targets. For investigation of the influence of the plasma property distribution on film properties static deposition experiments were performed. Substrate temperature measurements have confirmed the inhomogeneous distribution of the plasma properties, resulting from the cross‐magnetron effect.