Ion-beam plating using mass-analyzed ions

Abstract

An ion-beam-plating apparatus controlled by mass spectrometry was developed to study the fundamentals of ion plating. A decelerating lens system was fitted to the apparatus and the deposition was carried out at ion energies from 30 to 300 eV. By the elimination of contaminant ions and neutrals and making the kinetic energy of incident ion-beam constant the fundamental deposition mechanism can be discussed. A high-voltage transmission electron microscope at 2000 kV was employed for examining ion-beam-induced dislocations in single-crystal substrates of aluminum and the growth of ion-beam-plated films. The effects of kinetic energy and substrate orientation are discussed. It was found that the higher the ion energy, the higher the dislocation density. A high density of dislocation was observed on the close-packed plane, i.e., (111) of an aluminum single crystal. Stainless steel was also used as a substrate. In this case, a twin deformation was found. The high-voltage transmission electron microscope provided an observation of both growth of film and substrate structure. Coalescence of particles and island formation were observed. Depth profiling was obtained by performing argon ion sputtering at 3 keV while using a secondary ion mass spectrometer and an Auger electron spectrometer for analyzing interfacial composition. When the kinetic energy of the depositing ion is high or when the closepacked plane is chosen as a substrate, the diffused layer was found to be deep. This result corresponds well with the density of dislocation observed by transmission electron microscope. Argon ion sputter cleaning before deposition was found to increase the depth of the diffused layer. These results may indicate the transport of ions through dislocation cores, which were produced by argon ion bombardment.