Ion flux characteristics in high-power pulsed magnetron sputtering discharges

High-power pulsed dc magnetron discharges for ionized high-rate sputtering of copper films were investigated. The repetition frequency was 1 kHz at a fixed 20% duty cycle and argon pressures of 0.5Pa and 5Pa. Time evolutions of the discharge characteristics were measured at a target power density in a pulse up to 950W/cm(2). Time-averaged mass spectroscopy was performed at substrate positions. It was shown that copper ions are strongly dominant ( up to 92%) in total ion fluxes onto the substrate. Their energy distributions with a broadened low-energy part at a lower pressure are extended to higher energies ( up to 45 eV relative to ground potential for the target-to-substrate distance of 100 mm). Copyright (C) EPLA, 2007.