Open AccessNitrogen Atom Energy Distributions in a Hollow-cathode Planar Sputtering Magnetron
Author(s) -
D N Ruzic,
M J Goeckner,
Samuel Cohen,
Zhehui Wang
Publication year - 1999
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/8184
Subject(s) - cathode , atomic physics , ion , atom (system on chip) , sputtering , nitrogen , planar , spectral line , cavity magnetron , sputter deposition , spectroscopy , emission spectrum , energetic neutral atom , deconvolution , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , materials science , physics , optics , nanotechnology , thin film , organic chemistry , chromatography , astronomy , computer graphics (images) , quantum mechanics , computer science , embedded system
Energy distributions of N atoms in a hollow-cathode planar sputtering magnetron were obtained by use of optical emission spectroscopy. A characteristic line, N I 8216.3 Å, well-separated from molecular nitrogen emission bands, was identified. Jansson's nonlinear spectral deconvolution method, refined by minimization of {chi}w ² , was used to obtain the optimal deconvolved spectra. These showed nitrogen atom energies from 1 eV to beyond 500 eV. Based on comparisons with VFTRIM results, we propose that the energetic N atoms are generated from N2+ ions after these ions are accelerated through the sheath and dissociatively reflect from the cathode