Hollow cathode sputtering cluster source for low energy deposition: Deposition of Fe small clusters

Abstract

We have developed a new cluster deposition source, which can be applied to the formation of nanostructured thin films. By our method, clusters are created by a hollow cathode sputtering at high pressure in the range of hundreds of Pa, which are directly deposited onto substrates. A pipe target with small internal diameter of 6 mm is used, and He is injected as a carrier gas while using Ar as a sputtering gas. The cluster size can be controlled between 2 and 6 nm in diameter, and high deposition rates up to 25 nm/min for 6 nm Fe clusters are obtained on a considerably wide substrate. It is also demonstrated that the deposition of 6 nm Fe clusters produces continuous films consisting of very small grains of nearly the same size with depositing clusters.

Gas flow sputtering: Versatile process for the growth of nanopillars, nanoparticles, and epitaxial thin films

“…When the inner diameter of the target is as small as 6 mm, clusters with diameters of a few nanometers are formed [10]. The reason for this was discussed in Section 2.…”

“…SEM images of Fe nanopillars deposited using a target with an inner diameter of 6 mm, a discharge current of 1.5 A, an Ar flow rate of 300 sccm, a He flow rate of 250 sccm[10], and a target-to-substrate separation of 70 mm. (a) Top view and (b) cross-sectional view.…”

Cavity-hollow cathode-sputtering source for titanium films

“…The upper disk is 7 mm high (4) and has a conical upward widening muzzle (11). The two disks are separated by a glass spacer (15 mm in diameter and 7 mm in height) (8), for optical measurements [18,20]. Disks and glass spacer confine a 1.25 cm 3 cathode chamber (3).…”

“…They do not need a magnetic field, which makes them particularly useful for sputtering of ferromagnetics. Hollow cathodes are used as intensive light sources [1], spectroscopic light sources [2], cluster sources [3], electron beam sources [4,5], ion thrusters [6] and for deposition [7][8][9][10]. The most important part of an HC is its hollow cathode cylinder.…”

The use of Highly Ionized Pulsed Plasmas for the Synthesis of Advanced Thin Films and Nanoparticles

“…To investigate the effect of high-power pulses and a high ionization degree on the nanoparticle synthesis, a hollow cathode was used as a sputter target which has been shown to be suitable for nanoparticle synthesis (Ishii et al, 1999). A sketch of the set-up is shown in Fig.…”