Vanadium reactive magnetron sputtering in mixed Ar/O2 discharges

Jeremy A. Theil, Eiji Kusano, Angus Rockett

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Due to the multitude of phases that may be deposited as a result of varying degrees of target poisoning, the vanadium oxygen system provides a vehicle for studying the reactive sputtering process. Examination of the consumed O2 partial pressure, target voltage, deposition rate, and change in film composition as a function of the oxygen partial pressure, shows how the target is poisoned by oxygen. The sputtering yield for V as a function of O2 partial pressure was measured by a novel technique that collects a known fraction of the sputtered flux. The V sputtering yields were used to help determine the O sputtering yield by an analytical model based upon the work of Berg et al. Target sputter cleaning in pure Ar and the oxidation of a partially oxidized metal surface exposed to an O2 ambient are shown to approach completion following an exponential time dependence. The target and substrate oxidation are shown to be well simulated by a modified version of existing reactive sputtering models and give reasonable values for the sputtering yield of oxygen from the target surface.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)122-129
Number of pages8
JournalThin Solid Films
Volume298
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 20 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Argon
  • Oxygen
  • Sputtering
  • Vanadium

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces and Interfaces

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