Reactive ionized physical vapor deposition of thin films

Abstract

In this article, the experimental results obtained in our laboratory for the last 10 years and related to the reactive Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition (IPVD) processes are reviewed. Titanium oxide and titanium nitride thin films were chosen as case studies. The titanium-based thin films were synthesized from a pure titanium target sputtered in a mixture of argon and reactive gas (oxygen or nitrogen). Two IPVD processes were investigated namely (i) reactive magnetron sputtering amplified by a superimposed secondary inductively coupled plasma and (ii) reactive High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering (HiPIMS). These researches were dedicated to the understanding of the plasma and plasma-surface interaction chemistries by using advanced plasma diagnostic techniques such as energy-resolved mass spectroscopy, time-resolved emission and absorption spectroscopy. The relationships between the plasma chemistry and energetics and the properties of the thin films are emphasized.