An investigation into the effects of plasma bombardment anisotropy in low frequency r.f. glow discharges

A. S. James, K. S. Fancey, A. Matthews

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The effects of plasma bombardment variations at the substrate surface in low frequency (380 kHz) r.f. glow discharges, as used in some r.f. plasma-assisted physical vapour deposition processes, was investigated by means of a sputter weight loss technique. Experiments were performed at a range of argon pressures and powder densities and the results compared with previously published work. It was found that the bombardment variations in the r.f. discharges were very similar to those observed in d.c. diodes, with a small additional contribution attributed to electron emission from the chamber walls which is thought to cause bombardment changes as a result of creating additional ions in the vicinity of the walls. The work is of significance in coating and plasma treatment applications because of the profound effects ion bombardment has, for example, on coating thickness uniformity, coating structure and diffusional effects.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)517-522
Number of pages6
JournalMaterials Science And Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure And Processing
Volume140
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7 Jul 1991

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An investigation into the effects of plasma bombardment anisotropy in low frequency r.f. glow discharges'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this