Abstract
A qualitative physical model is proposed to explain the influence of the oxygen content in the gas flow on the discharge current for reactive cathode sputtering in a d.c. diode system. According to this model the increase in the oxygen content affects the discharge current density in two main ways: (i) by a sharp change in the coefficient of secondary ion-electron emission from the target surface as a result of its oxidation; and (ii) by the influence of the oxygen content on the elementary ionization processes in the discharge region near the cathode as a result of the transition from a glow discharge in a noble gas to a glow discharge in oxygen. The results of the experimental investigations with targets of different materials under different sputtering conditions were in good agreement with the conclusions from the proposed physical model. Experiments aimed at elucidating the mechanism of formation of an oxide layer by sputtering of a silicon target have also been carried out. The conclusions can be useful for thin film deposition as well as for investigations of secondary emission from surfaces in a glow discharge.
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