NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PROCESSING CATHODIC ARC PLASMAS

Filtering of plasmas by curved solenoidal ducts is well established as a method of removing macroparticles, By analyzing the interactions of planar probes with the drifting plasma of the cathodic are, new insig hts have been obtained into the operation of these ducts, Theoretical modeling of these interactions suggests, and experiment confirms, that the use of a separate biased electrode on the inside of the duct give s enhanced transmission without drawing excessive electron current. Th eoretical modeling of a negatively biased planar electrode lying paral lel to the drift velocity as well as experiment both show that ions ar e captured effectively onto the electrode producing a macroparticle fr ee film at good deposition rates, The application of pulsed high volta ge to the substrate placed at the exit of the duct is treated theoreti cally, and a model is proposed which gives a good agreement with the e xperimental concentration profile for a silicon surface coated and sim ultaneously implanted with titanium.