Plasma Properties and Ion Energy Distribution in DC Magnetron Sputtering Assisted by Inductively Coupled RF Plasma

Abstract

It is generally considered that an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted magnetron sputtering allows independent control of the incident ion flux and its energy at the substrate. Some previous works, however, show that variation of the RF power induces changes in both the ion flux and its energy if an internal metallic coil antenna is used. In this study, we have applied an internal coil antenna with dielectric insulation, and plasma properties as well as ion energy distribution have been investigated by varying the RF power and the sputtering current. The incident ion flux was enhanced significantly by the addition of an ICP and exhibited a relatively narrow energy spread. Ion energy at the grounded substrate was found to be determined by the plasma potential and did not change markedly while increasing the RF power. These results enable us to independently adjust the incident ion flux and its energy by varying the RF power and the bias voltage to the substrate, respectively.