Publication
Title
Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions treatment of an $Ar/O_{2}$ magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of $TiO_{x}$ films
Author
Abstract
 The physical processes in an Ar/O2 magnetron discharge used for the reactive sputter deposition of TiOx thin films were simulated with a 2d3v particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) model. The plasma species taken into account are electrons, Ar+ ions, fast Arf atoms, metastable Arm* atoms, Ti+ ions, Ti atoms, O+ ions, O2+ ions, O− ions and O atoms. This model accounts for plasmatarget interactions, such as secondary electron emission and target sputtering, and the effects of target poisoning. Furthermore, the deposition process is described by an analytical surface model. The influence of the O2/Ar gas ratio on the plasma potential and on the species densities and fluxes is investigated. Among others, it is shown that a higher O2 pressure causes the region of positive plasma potential and the O− density to be more spread, and the latter to decrease. On the other hand, the deposition rates of Ti and O are not much affected by the O2/Ar proportion. Indeed, the predicted stoichiometry of the deposited TiOx film approaches x=2 for nearly all the investigated O2/Ar proportions.
Language
English
Source (journal)
New journal of physics / Institute of Physics; German Physical Society. - Bristol
Publication
Bristol : 2009
ISSN
1367-2630
Volume/pages
11(2009), p. 103010,1-103010,24
Article Reference
103010
ISI
000270820900001
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
 Faculty/Department Research group Publication type Subject Affiliation Publications with a UAntwerp address