Studies on Ion Scattering and Sputtering Processes Relevant to Ion Beam Sputter Deposition of Multicomponent Thin Films

Abstract

ABSTRACTResults from computer simulation and experiments on ion scattering and sputtering processes in ion beam sputter deposition of high Tc superconducting and ferroelectric thin films are presented. It is demonstrated that scattering of neutralized ions from the targets can result in undesirable erosion of, and inert gas incorporation in, the growing films, depending on the ion/target atom mass ratio and ion beam angle of incidence/target/substrate geometry. The studies indicate that sputtering by Kr+ or Xe+ ions is preferable to the most commonly used Ar+ ions, since the undesirable phenomena mentioned above are minimized for the first two ions. These results are used to determine optimum sputter deposition geometry and ion beam parameters for growing multicomponent oxide thin films by ion beam sputter-deposition.