Time-resolved measurement of film growth during reactive high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) of titanium nitride

Titanium nitride (Ti-N) thin films are electrically and thermally conductive and have high hardness and corrosion resistance. Dense and defect-free Ti-N thin films have been widely used in the surface modification of cutting tools, wear resistance components, medical implantation devices, and microelectronics. In this study, Ti-N thin films were deposited by high power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) and their plasma characteristics were analyzed. The ion energy of Ti species was varied by adjusting the substrate bias voltage, and its effect on the microstructure, residual stress, and adhesion of the thin films were studied. The results show that after the introduction of nitrogen gas, a Ti-N compound layer was formed on the surface of the Ti target, which resulted in an increase in the Ti target discharge peak power. In addition, the total flux of the Ti species decreased, and the ratio of the Ti ions increased. The Ti-N thin film deposited by HPPMS was dense and defect-free. When the energy of the Ti ions was increased, the grain size and surface roughness of the Ti-N film decreased, the residual stress increased, and the adhesion strength of the Ti-N thin film decreased.

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Pulse synchronized substrate bias for the High Power Pulsed Magnetron Sputtering deposition of CrAlN

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/j.tsf.2021.138792 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 138792

Author(s):

K. Bobzin ◽

T. Brögelmann ◽

N.C. Kruppe ◽

M. Engels ◽

C. Schulze

Keyword(s):

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

High Power ◽

Substrate Bias ◽

Sputtering Deposition ◽

Pulsed Magnetron

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Effect of Voltage Pulse Width and Synchronized Substrate Bias in High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering of Zirconium Films

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings11010007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Chin-Chiuan Kuo ◽

Chun-Hui Lin ◽

Jing-Tang Chang ◽

Yu-Tse Lin

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Magnetron Sputtering ◽

High Power ◽

Pulse Width ◽

Film Growth ◽

Highly Charged Ions ◽

Argon Pressure ◽

Hexagonal Prism ◽

Film Growth Rate ◽

Charged Ions

The Zr film microstructure is highly influenced by the energy of the plasma species during the deposition process. The influences of the discharge pulse width, which is the key factor affecting ionization of sputtered species in the high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) process, on the obtained microstructure of films is investigated in this research. The films deposited at different argon pressure and substrate biasing are compared. With keeping the same average HiPIMS power and duty cycle, the film growth rate of the Zr film decreases with increasing argon pressure and enhancing substrate biasing. In addition, the film growth rate decreases with the elongating HiPIMS pulse width. For the deposition at 1.2 Pa argon, extending the pulse width not only intensifies the ion flux toward the substrate but also increases the fraction of highly charged ions, which alter the microstructure of films from individual hexagonal prism columns into a tightly connected irregular column. Increasing film density leads to higher hardness. Sufficient synchronized negative substrate biasing and longer pulse width, which supports higher mobility of adatoms, causes the preferred orientation of hexagonal α-phase Zr films from (0 0 0 2) to (1 0 1¯ 1). Unlike the deposition at 1.2 Pa, highly charged ions are also found during the short HiPIMS pulse width at 0.8 Pa argon.

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