Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1672439 Thin Solid Films 2008 4 Pages PDF
Abstract

High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) of an Al target in Ar/O2 mixtures has been studied. The use of HIPIMS is shown to drastically influence the process characteristics compared to conventional sputtering. Under suitable conditions, oxide formation on the target as the reactive gas flow is increased is suppressed, and the hysteresis effect commonly observed as the gas flow is varied during conventional sputtering can be reduced, or even completely eliminated, using HIPIMS. Consequently, stoichiometric alumina can be deposited under stable process conditions at high rates. Possible explanations for this behavior as well as a model qualitatively describing the process are presented.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Nanotechnology
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