A setup for arc-free reactive DC sputter deposition of Al-O-N

Abstract

Aluminum oxynitride (Al-O-N) is a material suitable for hard, transparent thin films. Its physical properties and structure can be adjusted through the O-to-N ratio.Reactive Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering (R-DCMS) is a practical, widespread technique for the deposition of coatings. However, it proves to be challenging in the case of Al-O-N. The reason for this is the high reactivity of O2. Poisoning of Al targets by O2 causes formation of insulating oxide islands and consequently leads to target destruction and a failure of the deposition process.Here, we show that with two separate gas inlets for the two reactive gases, a good process stability can be achieved over the entire range of O-to-N ratios.