Fine structure and transition rates in highly-charged ions

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Eugene Livingston
Keyword(s):  
Fine Structure ◽  
Highly Charged Ions ◽  
Transition Rates ◽  
Charged Ions

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

Coatings ◽  
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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