Different types of HiPIMS discharges: a comparative study via time-resolved particle imaging
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2019 |
| Type | Article in Periodical (without peer review) |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | High power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharges often use a single pulse, when a negative voltage (0.5 - 1.5 kV typically) and very high currents (several hundred A) are applied to the cathode during the plasma on time. Such ‘single pulse’ HiPIMS (s-HiPIMS) discharges have several limitations, first of all in terms of the ion control, and HiPIMS supporting multiple pulse operation such as bipolar HiPIMS (b-HiPIMS, or BPH) or multi-pulse HiPIMS (m-HiPIMS) have been proposed several years ago. In our study, the effects of variation of the applied power, plasma pulse duration, pulse positive voltage (b-HiPIMS case), delay between the plasma pulses and their number (m-HiPIMS case), as well as the other effects were examined. As a result, the beneficial effect of bipolar HiPIMS pulsing is shown. The ion acceleration and altering film microstructure are evident in this case. Along with this, the effect of an optimum pulse number for better ionization control in the m-HiPIMS case is also demonstrated. This phenomenon is related to a proper synchronization between the wave of ions propagating from the cathode and the following m-HiPIMS pulse. |
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