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Influence of Different Pulse Modes on the Plasma Properties in a Dual Magnetron Discharge used for the Deposition of Indium Tin Oxide Films from a Metallic Target
Author(s) -
Dunger Thoralf,
Kupfer Hartmut,
Graffel Benjamin,
Kleinhempel Ronny,
Lukaš Jan,
Welzel Thomas,
Richter Frank
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
plasma processes and polymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1612-8869
pISSN - 1612-8850
DOI - 10.1002/ppap.200730801
Subject(s) - materials science , cavity magnetron , plasma , tin , analytical chemistry (journal) , indium tin oxide , sputter deposition , pulsed dc , oxide , thin film , chemistry , sputtering , nanotechnology , metallurgy , physics , chromatography , quantum mechanics
We have investigated the plasma properties of a dual magnetron system used for the deposition of transparent and conductive ITO films. The process properties of a bipolar and unipolar pulsed discharge were investigated while operating the targets in the transition mode. In general, in the bipolar pulsed discharge lower electron temperatures as well as one order of magnitude higher values of charge carrier density were observed compared to the unipolar pulsed discharge. Moreover, strong lateral variations of the charge carrier density in front of the substrate area were found. The influence of the plasma properties on global process parameters, especially on the p O 2–F O 2curve of the transition mode, is discussed in terms of the dissociation of oxygen in the discharge.