Novel Enhanced Magnetron Sputtering System

Magnetron sputtering is the process of choice for the deposition of a wide range of industrially important coatings. However, current processes have inherent limitations. In particular, the energy delivered to the growing film, the mass flux and the ion to atom ratio incident at the substrate, which have a profound effect on coating properties, cannot be readily varied using present technology. Consequently, film properties may not be optimal. In order to overcome these limitations, studies are being made of an enhanced sputtering system, in which alternative plasma sources have been incorporated into an otherwise standard magnetron sputtering system. The new system combines a gridless linear ion source (LIS) and a conventional magnetron to form a variable energy charge flux magnetron sputtering system (termed M-LIS). Detailed characterisation studies of this system were carried out and are reported here. Included are models of the magnetic field in the system, performance data of the M-LIS in different modes of operation and the impact of this source on the structure and properties of metallic and ceramic coatings. The relation between the energy delivered and the chemical composition of the surface is also discussed in comparison with films grown in a standard system. Results to date demonstrate that the enhanced system improves the flexibility of control of the growth parameters in a magnetron sputtering system. SE/516