Prediction of the evolution of the erosion profile in a direct current magnetron discharge

Abstract

We have performed a simulation of ion and fast neutral transport in the sheath region of a direct current magnetron discharge under different pressures by using the Boltzmann equation and the database from the two-dimensional (2D) results of a plasma structure, which was given by a hybrid model. Evolution of the erosion profile on the target surface has been predicted by using the 2D energy distributions of ions and fast neutrals incident on the target (cathode) surface. We confirmed that an accurate prediction of the erosion profile can be obtained by assuming that the constant sputtering yield corresponds to the cathode voltage under conditions of low pressures that make use of the film deposition processes.