DOUBLE UNBALANCED MAGNETRON SPUTTERING SYSTEM USED FOR ION-ASSISTED THIN-FILM DEPOSITION

Detailed characterization of a newly developed sputtering system consi sting of two symmetrically inclined unbalanced magnetron sputtering de vices, to be used for ion-assisted deposition of two component alloy t hin films, is made. The working characteristics of the double magnetro n system are compared with those of a single magnetron sputtering devi ce with perpendicular geometry and a magnetron with inclined geometry, all of them based on the same unbalanced Sm-Co magnetic assemblage of type II. The experiments were made with Cu targets of 52 mm diam., an d I mm thickness using Ar at a pressure from 2 x 10(-3) Torr to 2 x 10 (-2) and for target-substrate distances from 55 mm to 75 mm. The resul ts include the following characteristics of the system : (i) discharge characteristics of the individually and of the simultaneously working magnetrons; (ii) dependence of the floating potential at isolated sub strate and of the currents to grounded and to negatively biased substr ate on different parameters of the magnetron discharge; (iii) homogene ity of the thickness of the deposited films. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.