Pulsed and Pulsed Bias Sputtering

by Barnat, Edward V.; Lu, Toh-Ming

• ISBN13: 9781402075438
• ISBN10: 140207543X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

Pulsed and pulsed bias sputter deposition are advanced thin deposition techniques that allow one to produce high quality metal and insulating films. In the pulsed sputtering case, the technique allows one to deposit insulating films while minimizing adverse effects associated with charge accumulation on the target in the reactive deposition mode. In the pulsed bias sputtering case, one can deposit metal films on an insulating substrate while controlling the degree of charging on the substrate. One of the important aspects of these techniques is to be able to control the film properties such as density, orientation, texture, and morphology during deposition. This book provides basic knowledge on the design of the instrumentation for pulsed and pulsed bias sputtering techniques as well as the knowledge for the control of thin film properties using the deposition parameters such as pulsing cycle and duty.The book focuses on the basic principles and experimentation of the pulsed and pulsed bias sputter deposition of thin films. The transient charging characteristics of the target in the DC reactive sputtering of insulator films and of the insulating substrate in the DC sputtering of metal films without the pulsing are discussed in detail. The predictions and experimentation of the discharging (neutralization) strategies using pulsing potentials are presented. Examples are given on the growth of thin films using these strategies and on the relationship between the film properties the pulsing parameters. In addition, the book also presents in a coherent manner the basic physics of DC plasma formation and the utilization of the plasma in the sputtering environment. The book will not only be useful for academic researchers but also for industrial scientists interested in sputter coating of high quality metal and insulating films.Key Features: -A summary of the basic physics of DC plasma and the utilization of the plasma in the sputtering environment. -A summary of typical DC sputtering systems and the properties of these plasma sources are presented. -The transient charging characteristics of the target during reactive sputtering of insulating films are discussed in detail. -The prediction and experimentation of how a pulsed sputtering technique can be utilized to control the charging of the target are presented. -A description on the use of the pulsed sputtering technique to produce high quality insulating film in the reactive sputtering environment. -The transient charging characteristics of the insulating substrate during the deposition of a metal film is discussed in detail. -The prediction and experimentation of how a pulsed bias sputtering technique can be used to control the charging of the substrate are presented. -A description on the use of the pulsed bias sputtering technique to produce high quality metal films on an insulating substrate.

Author Biography

Edward V. Barnat: Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, NM Toh-Ming Lu: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY

Table of Contents

PREFACE	ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	xi
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION	1	(10)
1 OVERVIEW OF SPUTTERING FOR TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS	1	(5)
2 PLASMA-SURFACE INTERACTIONS	6	(1)
3 CHARGING OF INSULATING SURFACES	7	(2)
4 OVERVIEW OF THE MONOGRAPH	9	(2)
Chapter 2 BASIC PLASMA PHENOMENON	11	(18)
1 THE PLASMA STATE	11	(2)
2 BASIC PLASMA STRUCTURE	13	(9)
3 COLLISIONS	22	(4)
4 SUMMARY	26	(3)
Chapter 3 PLASMA SOURCES USED FOR SPUTTER DEPOSITION	29	(16)
1 DIRECT CURRENT (DC) SOURCES	29	(9)
2 ALTERNATING CURRENT (AC) SOURCES	38	(4)
3 SUMMARY	42	(3)
Chapter 4 RESPONSE OF A PLASMA TO AN APPLIED BIAS	45	(20)
1 GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND APPROXIMATIONS	46	(3)
2 QUASI-STATIC APPROXIMATION OF THE SHEATH	49	(5)
3 BREAKDOWN OF THE QUASI-STATIC APPROXIMATION	54	(3)
4 TRANSIENT NATURE OF THE SHEATH	57	(5)
5 SUMMARY	62	(3)
Chapter 5 SINUSOIDAL WAVEFORM	65	(10)
1 QUASI-STATIC REGIME	65	(4)
2 TRANSIENT SHEATH REGIME	69	(3)
3 SUMMARY	72	(3)
Chapter 6 PULSED WAVEFORM	75	(34)
1 DEFINITION OF THE PULSE	76	(1)
2 QUASI-STATIC RESPONSE OF THE SYSTEM TO AN APPLIED PULSE	76	(13)
3 APPROXIMATED PREDICTIONS OF ENERGY SPECTRA	89	(6)
4 HIGHER FREQUENCY RESPONSE OF THE SYSTEM TO THE PULSED WAVEFORM	95	(9)
5 COMPARISON BETWEEN SINUSOIDAL AND PULSED WAVEFORMS	104	(2)
6 SUMMARY	106	(3)
Chapter 7 APPLICATION OF A PULSED WAVEFORM TO A TARGET: PULSED REACTIVE SPUTTERING	109	(20)
1 INTRODUCTION	110	(2)
2 APPLICATION OF A PULSE FOR ARC SUPPRESSION (PREDICTIONS)	112	(9)
3 APPLICATION OF A PULSE TO REACTIVE SPUTTERING (PRACTICE)	121	(6)
4 SUMMARY	127	(2)
Chapter 8 APPLICATION OF A PULSED WAVEFORM TO A SUBSTRATE: PULSED BIAS SPUTTERING	129	(16)
1 INTRODUCTION	129	(1)
2 CONSIDERATIONS FOR PULSED BIASING OF THE SUBSTRATE	130	(3)
3 OBSERVED FLUX OF CHARGE TO A PULSED SUBSTRATE	133	(5)
4 APPLICATION OF A PULSED BIAS TO FILM GROWTH	138	(5)
5 SUMMARY	143	(2)
Chapter 9 CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS	145	(4)
1 CONCLUSIONS	145	(1)
2 FUTURE DIRECTIONS	146	(3)
REFERENCES	149	(8)
INDEX	157