Open AccessPulse length selection for optimizing the accelerated ion flux fraction of a bipolar HiPIMS discharge
Author(s) -
Rommel Paulo B. Viloan,
Michal Zanáška,
Daniel Lundin,
Ulf Helmersson
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plasma sources science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1361-6595
pISSN - 0963-0252
DOI - 10.1088/1361-6595/abc6f6
Subject(s) - high power impulse magnetron sputtering , ion , pulse (music) , atomic physics , impulse (physics) , materials science , pulse duration , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , sputtering , voltage , sputter deposition , optics , laser , physics , nanotechnology , thin film , organic chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics
The effect on the energy distributions of metal and gas ions in a bipolar high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge as the negative and positive pulse lengths are altered are reported. The results presented demonstrate that the selection of the pulse lengths in a HiPIMS discharge is important in optimizing the amount of accelerated ions. A short enough negative pulse is needed so that ions do not escape to the substrate before being accelerated by the positive pulse that follows the main negative HiPIMS pulse. The length of the positive pulse should also be long enough to accelerate the majority of the ions, but a too long positive pulse depletes the process chamber of electrons so much that it makes it difficult to initiate the next HiPIMS pulse. When pulse lengths of negative and positive pulses are properly selected, the fraction of ions, both metal and gas, accelerated by the positive pulse voltage is close to 100%.