CATHODIC SPUTTERING UNDER HIGH-GAS-FLOW JETS

Studies of cathodic sputtering with gas dow rates up to 2.13 L/min/jet were carried out in an Atomsource sputtering atomizer with Ar as the jet gas and Cu as the cathode sample. These dow rates are 20-fold grea ter than those normally used and were found to increase net sputtering yield significantly. A fourfold increase in net sputtering yield was observed when the number of jets in use was decreased from six to one, with the gas dow rate and other conditions held constant. Possible ex planations for these effects are offered.