THE INFLUENCE OF THE DEPOSITION ANGLE ON THE COMPOSITION OF REACTIVELY SPUTTERED THIN-FILMS

We have performed computer simulations and experimental studies of the compositional behaviour of reactively sputter-deposited films as a fu nction of the deposition angle. The composition of deposited films is essentially determined by the supply rate of both sputtered material a nd reactive gas atoms to the substrate surface. The sputtered flux dis tribution has a preferential direction away from the target while the reactive gas flux distribution atoms is primarily isotropic in the dep osition chamber. The supply of sputtered material to the substrate sur face is therefore angular dependent while the supply of reactive speci es is not. The film composition is consequently angular dependent. Our findings show that the film has a higher content of the stoichiometri c compound for higher deposition angles. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A .