Pulse length dependence of a reactive high power impulse magnetron (HiPIMS) discharge

0573076 - FZÚ 2024 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Hippler, Rainer - Čada, Martin - Mutzke, A. - Hubička, Zdeněk
Pulse length dependence of a reactive high power impulse magnetron (HiPIMS) discharge.
Plasma Sources Science & Technology. Roč. 32, č. 5 (2023), č. článku 055013. ISSN 0963-0252. E-ISSN 1361-6595
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000760; GA ČR(CZ) GA21-04477S
Grant - others:OP VVV - SOLID21(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000760
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : high power impulse magnetron sputtering * reactive mode * pulse length dependence * ion composition * optical emission spectroscopy
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 3.8, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access

The pulse length dependence of a reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge with a tungsten cathode in an argon+oxygen gas mixture gas was investigated. The HiPIMS discharge is operated with a variable pulse length of 20–500 μs. Discharge current measurements, optical emission spectroscopy of neutral Ar, O, and W lines, and energy-resolved ion mass spectrometry are employed. A pronounced dependence of the discharge current on pulse length is noted while the initial discharge voltage is maintained constant. Energy-resolved mass spectrometry shows that the oxygen-to-tungsten (O+/W+) and the tungsten oxide-to-tungsten (WO+/W+) ion ratio decreases with pulse length due to target cleaning. Simulation results employing the SDTrimSP program show the formation of a non-stoichiometric sub-surface compound layer of oxygen which depends on the impinging ion composition and thus on the pulse length.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0346388