Utilization of cathodic arc evaporation for the deposition of boron nitride thin films

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology Vol. 90; no. 1; pp. 178 - 183
• Main Authors: Richter, F., Krannich, G., Hahn, J., Pintaske, R., Friedrich, M., Schmidbauer, S., Zahn, D.R.T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15.03.1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Boron nitride; Cathode; Cathodic arc evaporation; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Thin film; Boron nitride; Cathode; Cathodic arc evaporation; Deposition; Thin film; Thin films; Inorganic compounds; Boron nitrides; Binary compounds; Crystal growth from vapors; Evaporation; Experimental study; Electric arcs; Cathodes
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/S0257-8972(96)03116-7

A special cathodic arc evaporation assembly has been constructed including a heated cathode holder which makes it possible to operate the cathode at temperatures up to 1000 °C. This device was utilized to demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of the cathodic arc evaporation of a pure boron cathode. In addition, a magnetic coil was implemented which yields a drastic reduction of boron macroparticles in the particle flux and hence in the deposited films (“arc filtering”). Preliminary results on BN films on silicon deposited with the heated-boron cathode arc in a nitrogen/argon atmosphere are reported.