On the description of metal ion return in reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

• 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.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Bearbetnings-, yt- och fogningsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Reactive sputtering

Reactive HiPIMS

Thin films

Process modelling

Metal back-attraction

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)