The Influence of Pulse Frequency and Duty on the Deposition Rate in Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering

• Published in: Plasma processes and polymers Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 246 - 252
• Main Authors: Kelly, Peter J., Onifade, Ayokola A., Zhou, Yanwen, Clarke, Gregory C. B., Audronis, Martynas, Bradley, James W.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 23.04.2007; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley-VCH
• Subjects: Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deposition by sputtering; deposition rate; Exact sciences and technology; magnetron sputtering; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; pulsed discharges; thin films; Inorganic compounds; Doping; Transition element compounds; Operating mode; magnetron sputtering; Deposition rate; Linear momentum; Thin films; Thickness; Titanium oxides; Cathode sputtering; Zinc oxides; II-VI semiconductors; Chromium borides; pulsed discharges; Aluminium additions; Sputter deposition
• ISSN: 1612-8850; 1612-8869
• DOI: 10.1002/ppap.200600159

This paper investigates the influence of pulse frequency and duty on the deposition rate during the pulsed magnetron sputtering process. Whilst deposition rates increased with duty, they also showed a very marked decrease with pulse frequency. Detailed analysis of the data implies that there is a ‘dead time’ of the order of at least 500 ns at the beginning of each pulse‐on cycle, during which negligible sputtering takes place. As pulse frequency increases, the ‘dead time’ becomes a greater proportion of the total on‐time, thus leading to a fall in the deposition rate. Other factors also contributing to this effect include a reduction in the average power delivered to the target as pulse frequency is increased, and significant differences with frequency in the rate of change of target voltage at the beginning of each pulse on cycle.