Reactive filtered arc evaporation

A cathodic filtered are evaporation system was used in the deposition of el emental and reactively produced compound films. It was created within a con ventional bell jar vacuum system using a magnetic-field steered are and a p lasma duct formed from a free-standing and isolated high-current solenoid. The curved solenoid was provided to divert and direct the plasma created ar ound the surface of the target onto the substrate and growing film surface. The magnetic field produced by the solenoid directs the electrons in the p lasma, the ions are moved by their electrostatic attraction to the electron s. The manipulation of the product of are evaporation has been shown to be possible with a simple low held solenoid. Larger particles were removed and high-quality aluminium and titanium droplet-free-films were obtained at th e end of the filter solenoid, showing high reflectance and good adhesion wi th no signs of droplet contamination. To optimise the reactive cathodic are deposition process, films deposited over a range of reactive gas pressures and evaporation rates, were analysed using XRD, SEM, optical transmission and reflectance, refractive index and sheet resistance for conducting films such as TiN. TiN films examined by SEM, showed a fine crystalline structur e with small grain size of 20-30 nm. For Al2O3 the filtered are-deposited f ilms show good adhesion, good optical properties and were nearly stoichiome tric with a refractive index of 1.66. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.