Sputtered flux distribution on the substrate in electron cyclotron resonance sputtering simulation and experimental study

Electron cyclotron resonance plasma based sputtering is characterized by lo w pressure operation with high ion density. The distribution of sputtered f lux on the substrate at different pressures and target-substrate distances has been simulated using Monte Carlo methods and compared with experimental results. It has been shown that due to cylindrical geometry of the target, at low pressures, the variation as a function of distance is different fro m conventional sputtering. At high pressures, however, the uniformity of sp uttered flux increases with the target-substrate distance. Using the simula ted data the variation of the thickness with sputtering pressure and target -substrate distance has been studied. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physic s. [S0021-8979(00)06110-7].