Charged particle fluxes from planar magnetron sputtering sources

Abstract

We have investigated the charged particle fluxes from circular planar magnetrons with different magnetic field configurations and report measurements of the currents to earthed substrates, the substrate self-biasing voltages, the ion currents to substrates at −100 V, and deposition rates as functions of axial and radial positions with respect to the target. The magnetrons fall into two classes, whose characteristics are explained in terms of electron motion in inhomogeneous magnetic fields. Both low and high electron/ion bombardment of the growing film can be achieved by small alterations to the magnetic field configuration.