Design and Characterisation of A SynchronousCo-Axuak Double Magnetron Sputtering System

Sammanfattning: High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a novel pulsed power technique. In HiPIMS, high power pulses are applied to the target for short duration with a low duty factor. It provides a high degree of ionization of the sputtered material (in some cases up to 90%) and a high plasma density (1019 m-3) which results in densification of the grown films. Recently a large side-transport of the sputtered material has been discovered, meaning that the sputtered material is transported radially outwards, parallel to the cathode surface. In this research, we use this effect and study the side-ways deposition of thin films. We designed a new magnetron sputtering system, consisting of two opposing magnetrons with similar polarity. Ti films were grown on Si using the side-ways transport of the sputtered material. Scanning electron microscope was employed to investigate the microstructure of the grown films. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements were made for investigating the ionized fraction of the sputtered material while Langmuir probe measurements were made for evaluating the plasma parameters such as electron density. The conclusion is that the system works well for side-ways deposition and it can be useful for coating the interior of cylindrically shaped objects. It is a promising technique that should be used in industry.