The influence of operating parameters on pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering plasma

Sreejith Karthikeyan; Arthur E. Hill; John S. Cowpe; Richard D. Pilkington

doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2010.09.007

The influence of operating parameters on pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering plasma

Sreejith Karthikeyan, Arthur E. Hill, John S. Cowpe, Richard D. Pilkington

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper describes the breakdown voltage characteristics in a pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering system under varying conditions of frequency, current and pulse-off time. The behaviour of the breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency at different pressures and constant pulse-off time was recorded and revealed that the breakdown voltage decreased consistently as the frequency increased up to 70 kHz. Above this frequency, perturbation in the breakdown voltage was noted, possibly due to the rise in pre-breakdown current during the few microseconds of pulse-on time. This perturbation effect was no longer observed when the operating current was increased. The breakdown voltage was seen to decrease when the pulse-off time was increased while keeping the total period of the pulse constant.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	634-638
Number of pages	5
Journal	Vacuum
Volume	85
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vacuum.2010.09.007
State	Published - Nov 9 2010

Keywords

Argon metastable atoms
Asymmetric bipolar pulsed magnetron sputtering
Breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency
Ion - induced electron emission
PDMS
Plasma-surface interaction
Pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering

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title = "The influence of operating parameters on pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering plasma",

abstract = "This paper describes the breakdown voltage characteristics in a pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering system under varying conditions of frequency, current and pulse-off time. The behaviour of the breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency at different pressures and constant pulse-off time was recorded and revealed that the breakdown voltage decreased consistently as the frequency increased up to 70 kHz. Above this frequency, perturbation in the breakdown voltage was noted, possibly due to the rise in pre-breakdown current during the few microseconds of pulse-on time. This perturbation effect was no longer observed when the operating current was increased. The breakdown voltage was seen to decrease when the pulse-off time was increased while keeping the total period of the pulse constant.",

keywords = "Argon metastable atoms, Asymmetric bipolar pulsed magnetron sputtering, Breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency, Ion - induced electron emission, PDMS, Plasma-surface interaction, Pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering",

author = "Sreejith Karthikeyan and Hill, {Arthur E.} and Cowpe, {John S.} and Pilkington, {Richard D.}",

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AU - Karthikeyan, Sreejith

AU - Hill, Arthur E.

AU - Cowpe, John S.

AU - Pilkington, Richard D.

PY - 2010/11/9

Y1 - 2010/11/9

N2 - This paper describes the breakdown voltage characteristics in a pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering system under varying conditions of frequency, current and pulse-off time. The behaviour of the breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency at different pressures and constant pulse-off time was recorded and revealed that the breakdown voltage decreased consistently as the frequency increased up to 70 kHz. Above this frequency, perturbation in the breakdown voltage was noted, possibly due to the rise in pre-breakdown current during the few microseconds of pulse-on time. This perturbation effect was no longer observed when the operating current was increased. The breakdown voltage was seen to decrease when the pulse-off time was increased while keeping the total period of the pulse constant.

AB - This paper describes the breakdown voltage characteristics in a pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering system under varying conditions of frequency, current and pulse-off time. The behaviour of the breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency at different pressures and constant pulse-off time was recorded and revealed that the breakdown voltage decreased consistently as the frequency increased up to 70 kHz. Above this frequency, perturbation in the breakdown voltage was noted, possibly due to the rise in pre-breakdown current during the few microseconds of pulse-on time. This perturbation effect was no longer observed when the operating current was increased. The breakdown voltage was seen to decrease when the pulse-off time was increased while keeping the total period of the pulse constant.

KW - Argon metastable atoms

KW - Asymmetric bipolar pulsed magnetron sputtering

KW - Breakdown voltage with pulsing frequency

KW - Ion - induced electron emission

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KW - Plasma-surface interaction

KW - Pulsed D.C. magnetron sputtering

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