Abstract
Abstract Back-attraction of ionized metal is an important process in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering (R-HiPIMS). Here, we discuss the implementation of the metal return in balance type models for reactive magnetron sputtering. We show that the existing description of surface processes needs to be modified to satisfy mass conservation. A new steady-state time-averaged model is presented and used to evaluate the effect of the metal return in R-HiPIMS. The results show that the metal return leads to an increased oxide fraction in the deposited coating in R-HiPIMS. This effect can explain the high rate deposition of stoichiometric compounds deposited in the metal mode of operation that has been observed experimentally.
Highlights
High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a recently developed variant of magnetron sputtering [1]
The value of the critical flow changes only little with the changing of δ. This is surprising as the deposition rate, and the reactive gas consumption at the substrate, is decreasing with increasing δ
We have presented a new model of reactive magne tron sputtering with high metal ionization
Summary
High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a recently developed variant of magnetron sputtering [1]. It has attracted attention as a deposition technique that, while compatible with magnetron sput tering systems, has potential to improve properties of deposited thin films by ionizing the deposition flux. HiPIMS is a powerful technique for stress engineering especially when combined with a synchronized substrate bias [6]. Reactive HiPIMS is very inter esting for synthesis of compound thin films at reduced deposition tem perature. Wide range of materials have been successfully deposited by reactive HiPIMS [7]
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