MgO thin film deposition using TVA (thermoionic vacuum arc)

TVA thin films are obtained as a result of heated cathode discharge establi shed in vacuum condition in the vapours of the material to be deposited. An ode, a tungsten crucible filled with MgO pellets is bombarded by focused th ermoelectrons accelerated toward the anode. Due to the incoming energy, MgO starts to evaporate and a discharge is established in the interelectrode s pace. This new type of evaporation, ensure high quality films due to the bo mbardment with energetic ions of the own material growing layer. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.