High power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges: Instabilities and plasma self-organization

We report on instabilities in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas which are likely to be of the generalized drift wave type. They are characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron and cause periodic shifts in floating potenti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2012-03, Vol.100 (11), p.114101-114101-4
Main Authors: Ehiasarian, A. P., Hecimovic, A., de los Arcos, T., New, R., Schulz-von der Gathen, V., Böke, M., Winter, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
EMISSIVITY
GLOW DISCHARGES
IONIZATION
KHZ RANGE
MAGNETRONS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA POTENTIAL
PLASMA PRESSURE
PULSES
SPUTTERING
WAVE PROPAGATION
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Summary:We report on instabilities in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas which are likely to be of the generalized drift wave type. They are characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron and cause periodic shifts in floating potential. The azimuthal mode number m depends on plasma current, plasma density, and gas pressure. The structures rotate in E → × B → direction at velocities of ∼10km s −1 and frequencies up to 200 kHz. Collisions with residual gas atoms slow down the rotating wave, whereas increasing ionization degree of the gas and plasma conductivity speeds it up.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.3692172