Computational Studies of Plasma Generation and Control in a Magnetron Sputtering System
Abstract
Recently, the magnetron sputtering system is widely used in the field of thin film deposition. It is useful to study the feature and control methods of plasmas in a magnetron sputtering system. The computational studies on the plasma generation problem and the erosion generation are carried out by the particle code. The magnetic field is studied by Finite Element method(FEM). Electrons are traced by solving the equation of motion. Collisions between electrons and neutral atoms, ions and electrons are calculated by Monte Carlo method. The distributions of ionization collision points are assumed to show the plasma distribution. The problems of plasma generation and diffusion are examined in the simulations. The results are compared with the experimental ones. The effects on the plasma distribution by the sheath thickness and the target configurations are analyzed. Electromagnetic features of the magnetron system are examined for several designs of electrodes, additional magnetic field configuration, and materials.
- Publication:
-
APS Annual Gaseous Electronics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998APS..GECJTP406I