Time and energy resolved ion mass spectroscopy studies of the ion flux during high power pulsed magnetron sputtering of Cr in Ar and Ar/N2 atmospheres

Greczyński, Grzegorz; Hultman, Lars

doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2010.01.055

Cited by 125 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…However, as observed in other nitride systems such as CrN, [53,54] TiN, [53,55] TiO 2 , [56,57] etc. the amount of reactive gas get reduced in HiPIMS because of significantly higher temperature produced in HiPIMS due to high power impulse (33.3 kW for 150 µs).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Study of magnetic iron nitride thin films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Tayal

Gupta

et al. 2015

Surface and Coatings Technology

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In this work, we studied phase formation, structural and magnetic properties of iron-nitride (Fe-N) thin films deposited using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and direct current magnetron sputtering (dc-MS). The nitrogen partial pressure during deposition was systematically varied both in HiPIMS and dc-MS. Resulting Fe-N films were characterized for their microstructure, magnetic properties and nitrogen concentration. We found that HiPIMS deposited Fe-N films show a globular nanocrystalline microstructure and improved soft magnetic properties. In addition, it was found that the nitrogen reactivity impedes in HiPIMS as compared to dc-MS. Obtained results can be understood in terms of distinct plasma properties of HiPIMS.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 82%

Study of magnetic iron nitride thin films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Tayal

Gupta

et al. 2015

Surface and Coatings Technology

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“…2(a), the target-current and target-voltage waveforms during the HiPIMS discharge driven at an average power of 4 kW and f N 2 /Ar = 0 are shown. The 200-μs-long pulses can be seen as composed of the high-current phase (0-100 μs) followed by the dc-like discharge (100-200 μs) as described elsewhere [39]. During the pulse, the negative target voltage V HiPIMS (t) varies significantly (predominantly due to the limitations of the power supply), and its amplitude drops from the initial 800 to 400 V at the end of the high-current phase (100 μs).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

$\hbox{CrN}_{\rm x}$ Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering and High-Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering: A Comparative Study

Greczyński

Jensen

Hultman

2010

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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Abstract-CrN x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.91) films synthesized using highpower pulsed magnetron sputtering, also known as high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), have been compared with those made by conventional direct-current (dc) magnetron sputtering (DCMS) operated at the same average power. The HiPIMS deposition rate relative to the DCMS rate was found to decrease linearly with increasing emission strength from the Cr ions relative to Cr neutrals, in agreement with the predictions of the target-pathway model. The low deposition rate in HiPIMS is thus a direct consequence of the high ionization level (∼56%) of the target material and effective capturing of Cr ions by the cathode potential. Although the HiPIMS deposition rate did not exceed 40% of the DCMS rate, the drop in the relative deposition rate upon increasing the N 2 -to-Ar flow ratio, f N 2 /Ar , was found to be similar for both sputtering techniques. Films prepared by HiPIMS contained similar amounts of atomic nitrogen as the dc-sputtered samples grown at the same f N 2 /Ar , indicating that the nitride formation at the substrate takes place mostly during the time period of the high-power pulses, and the N 2 uptake between the pulses is negligible. The microstructure evolution in the two types of CrN x films, however, differed clearly from each other. A combination of a high substrate bias and a high flux of doubly charged Cr ions present during the HiPIMS discharge led to a disruption of the grain growth and renucleation, which resulted in column-free films with nanosized grains not observed in the conventional DCMS-based process. The comparison of nanoindentation hardness as a function of f N 2 /Ar revealed superior properties of HiPIMS-sputtered films in the entire range of gas compositions.Index Terms-CrN, high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering, magnetron sputtering.

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“…This occurs for two reasons: (i) gas rarefaction stemming from the high thermal and momentum load supplied by the HIPIMS target, 49,55 and (ii) the fact that the ionization probability of gas species Ar, N2, and N with high IP1 values (15.75, 15.55, and 14.50 eV, respectively) 50 decreases due to an intense flux of sputtered Al atoms with low IP1 (5.986 eV), whose ionization reduces the average electron energy and the intensity of the high-energy tail in the plasma electron energy distribution. As a consequence, from t ≃ 40-100 s into the pulse, Al + is the dominant plasma ion.…”

Section: Synchronous Substrate Biasing To Probe Effects Of Gas-iomentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of metal-ion-flux-controlled growth of metastable TiAlN by HIPIMS/DCMS co-sputtering

Greczyński

Jensen

et al. 2014

Surface and Coatings Technology

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146

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We review results on the growth of metastable Ti1-xAlxN alloy films by hybrid high-power pulsed and dc magnetron co-sputtering (HIPIMS/DCMS) using the time domain to apply substrate bias either in synchronous with the entire HIPIMS pulse or just the metal-rich portion of the pulse in mixed Ar/N2 discharges. Depending upon which elemental target, Ti or Al, is powered by HIPIMS, distinctly different film-growth kinetic pathways are observed due to charge and mass differences in the metal-ion fluxes incident at the growth surface. Al + ion irradiation during Al-HIPIMS/Ti-DCMS at 500 C, with a negative substrate bias Vs = 60 V synchronized to the HIPIMS pulse (thus suppressing Ar + ion irradiation due to DCMS), leads to single-phase NaCl-structure Ti1-xAlxN films (x ≤ 0.60) with high hardness (> 30 GPa with x > 0.55) and low stress (0.2-0.8 GPa compressive). Ar + ion bombardment can be further suppressed in favor of predominantly Al + ion irradiation by synchronizing the substrate bias to only the metal-ion-rich portion of the Al-HIPIMS pulse. In distinct contrast, Ti-HIPIMS/Al-DCMS Ti1-xAlxN layers grown with Ti + /Ti 2+ metal ion irradiation and the same HIPIMS-synchronized Vs value, are two-phase mixtures, NaCl-structure Ti1-xAlxN plus wurtzite AlN, exhibiting low hardness (≃18 GPa) with high compressive stresses, up to -3.5 GPa. In both cases, film

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Time and energy resolved ion mass spectroscopy studies of the ion flux during high power pulsed magnetron sputtering of Cr in Ar and Ar/N2 atmospheres

Abstract: keywords: high power pulsed magnetron sputtering; HPPMS; high power impulse magnetron sputtering; HIPIMS; ion mass spectroscopy; ion energy distribution; plasma diagnostics; ion flux 2

Cited by 125 publications

References 31 publications

Study of magnetic iron nitride thin films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Study of magnetic iron nitride thin films deposited by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

$\hbox{CrN}_{\rm x}$ Films Prepared by DC Magnetron Sputtering and High-Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering: A Comparative Study

A review of metal-ion-flux-controlled growth of metastable TiAlN by HIPIMS/DCMS co-sputtering

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