Deposition rate and thickness uniformity of thin films deposited by a pulsed cathodic arc process

The deposition rate and the film thickness uniformity in a vacuum arc depos ition process were investigated with respect to dependence on static and dy namic are current parameters. Measurements were based on the ion current de nsity. The known relations between the investigated process parameters were verified for the d.c. arc process and served as a reference. In the modifi ed pulsed arc process a considerably increased ion current density was meas ured (up to 1.2 mA A(-1) cm(-2) during a 500-A pulse). The angular distribu tion changed in dependence on maximum pulse current especially and could be measured to be cos(3)phi for I-p = 150 A to cos(7)phi for I-p = 500 A. Thi s results in very high deposition rates in the central region of the substr ate and in changes of the film thickness uniformity. A maximum increase of the deposition rate by a factor 3 (perpendicular to the cathode) was measur ed. Only in a smaller sector the distribution of the film thickness can be approximated by a cosine function (with exponent n up to 27). (C) 2001 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.