The time-dependent plasma properties of a High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS) plasma are investigated which include a positive “kick” pulse on the sputtering target immediately following the main negative pulse. The time dependent electron energy distribution function (EEDF) at the substrate, plasma potential, potential commute time and plasma diffusion properties are captured using a single Langmuir probe. Results show that the positive pulse on the target expels plasma and raises the plasma potential across the chamber on the order of 1 usec, which is the time scale of the electron diffusion. The EEDF fits a Druyvesteyn distribution during the main pulse rising slightly in average energy. The distribution is still Druyvesteyn and at the very start of the kick pulse, but then loses the higher energy electrons and drops in average electron energy as the kick pulse progresses.

The effect on the ion energy distribution function (IEDF) of plasma produced during a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge as the pulse conditions are varied is reported. Pressure was varied from 0.67 -2.00 Pa (5-15 mTorr), positive kick pulses up to 200 V tested with a constant 4 μs delay between negative and positive cycles. The results demonstrate that the resulting plasma during the positive kick pulse is the result of expansion through the largely neutral gas species between the end of the magnetic trap of the target and the workpiece. The plasma potential rises on similar time scale with the evolution of a narrow peak in the IEDF close to the applied bias. The peak of the distribution function remains narrow close to the applied bias irrespective of pulse length, and with only slight pressure dependence. One exception discovered is that the IEDF contains a broad high energy tail early in the kick pulse due to acceleration of ions present beyond the trap from the main pulse separate from the ionization front that follows.