Monte Carlo simulation of the transport of atoms in DC magnetron sputtering

In this work, we present a Monte Carlo simulation for the transport of sputtered particles during DC magnetron sputter deposition through the gas phase. The nascent sputter flux has been simulated by SRIM and TRIM, while the collisions of the sputtered atoms with the sputter gas are simulated with a screened Coulomb potential, with the Molière screening function and the Firsov screening length. The model calculates the flux of the atoms arriving at the substrate, their energy, direction and number of collisions they underwent. The model was verified by comparing the simulated thickness profiles with experimental profiles of deposited layers of Al, Cu and Zr/Y (85/15 wt%) on large substrates (ratio of the substrate diameter to the target diameter is 8). A good agreement between the experimental data and the simulations for sputter pressures (0.3–1 Pa) and target–substrate distances (7–16 cm) is obtained.