Monte Carlo simulation of thermalization process of sputtered particles

Abstract

The transport process of sputtered particles in plasma sputter deposition was studied by computer simulation using the Monte Carlo method, with particular attention to the understanding of the thermalization process. Due consideration was taken of the momentum loss as well as of the energy loss of sputtered particles colliding with sputter gas molecules. The results clearly showed that with increasing target-substrate distance, the energy distribution of sputtered copper atoms arriving at the substrate shifts toward lower kinetic energies, but still contains a considerable fraction of high energy particles. In addition, it was found that the arrival rate of sputtered copper atoms at the substrate decreases exponentially with the target-substrate distance, while the return rate to the target first increases and then becomes constant. It was concluded that the present Monte Carlo simulation can be successfully used for a quantitative estimation of the transport process of sputtered particles.