Plasma enhanced direct current planar magnetron sputtering technique employing a twinned microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source

The dc discharge of a planar magnetron was enhanced by a twinned microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source. The magnetic cusp geometry form ed in the processing chamber was used for plasma confinement, The sputterin g discharge characteristics were investigated and a combined mode of voltag e and current was observed at a pressure as low as 0.007 Pa. Carbon-nitride thin films were synthesized using this method. Characterization of the fil ms show that deposition rate was high, the films were composed of a single amorphous carbon nitride phase with N/C ratio close to that of C3N4, and th e bonding was mainly of C-N type. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.