COMPOSITION CHANGE IN MAGNETRON-SPUTTERED FE-ZR-N FILM WITH EROSION OF FE-ZR ALLOY TARGET

The composition of magnetron-sputtered Fe-Zr-N films is found to chang e with the erosion of the high-permeability Fe-Zr alloy target. Zr is preferentially sputtered parallel to the target surface, and this tend ency is more pronounced as erosion increases, Incident ion energy decr eases with erosion because the leakage magnetic flux intensity increas es, and the plasma density increases as a result of enhanced ionizatio n frequency, This composition change has been attributed to a reflecti ve collision process becoming dominant as the incident ion energy decr eases with increasing erosion. A novel mosaic-type target, consisting of both alloy and single-element phases; has been developed, and the c omposition change is successfully suppressed and compositional uniform ity is markedly improved.