Equipment for deposition of thin metallic films bombarded by fast argon atoms

Abstract

Deposition of thin metallic films on dielectric substrates using a source of metal atom flow combined with a flow fast argon atoms has been investigated and the investigation results are presented. The fast atoms are produced due to charge-exchange collisions in a vacuum chamber of argon ions, which are accelerated by potential difference between the hollow-cathode glow-discharge plasma and an emissive grid and enter the chamber through the grid. The metal atoms produced due to ion sputtering of a metallic foil placed on the inner surface of the hollow cathode enter the chamber through the same grid. Substrate pretreatment and pulse-periodic bombardment of the growing film by ∼1-keV argon atoms both ensure adhesion of copper to glass up to 2 × 107 Pa. The use of a hollow substrate holder, whose inner surface is also covered with the same foil, makes it possible to exclude losses of the depositing metal and allows recommendation of the equipment for beam-assisted deposition of precious metal films.