MODIFIED MAGNETIC CONTROLLED PLASMA SPUTTERING METHOD

A modified method to improve thin film vacuum sputtering is presented. This method is capable of controlling the sputtering plasma via an ex ternal set of magnets, in a similar fashion to the tetrode sputtering method. The main advantage of Magnetic Controlled Plasma Sputtering (M CPS) is its ability to independently control all deposition parameters without any interference or cross-talk. Deposition rate, using the MC PS, is found to be almost twice the rate of triode and tetrode sputter ing techniques. Experimental results using the MCPS to deposit Ni laye rs are described. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.