Role of sputtered atom and ion energy distribution in films deposited by physical vapor deposition: A molecular dynamics approach
Journal article, 2024
We present a comparative molecular dynamics simulation study of copper film growth between various physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques: a constant energy neutral beam, thermal evaporation, dc magnetron sputtering, high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS), and bipolar HiPIMS. Experimentally determined energy distribution functions were utilized to model the deposition processes. Our results indicate significant differences in the film quality, growth rate, and substrate erosion. Bipolar HiPIMS shows the potential for an improved film structure under certain conditions, albeit with increased substrate erosion. Bipolar HiPIMS (+180 V and 10% Cu+ ions) exhibited the best film properties in terms of crystallinity and atomic stress among the PVD processes investigated.
Author
Soumya Atmane
GREMI Research Group on the Energetics of Ionized Media
Alexandre Maroussiak
GREMI Research Group on the Energetics of Ionized Media
Amaël Caillard
GREMI Research Group on the Energetics of Ionized Media
Anne Lise Thomann
GREMI Research Group on the Energetics of Ionized Media
Movaffaq Kateb
Chalmers, Physics, Condensed Matter and Materials Theory
J. T. Gudmundsson
University of Iceland
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Pascal Brault
MS4ALL
GREMI Research Group on the Energetics of Ionized Media
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A
0734-2101 (ISSN) 15208559 (eISSN)
Vol. 42 6 060401Subject Categories (SSIF 2011)
Materials Engineering
Physical Sciences
Chemical Sciences
DOI
10.1116/6.0004134