Modeling the flux of high energy negative ions during reactive magnetron sputtering

The negative ion flux during reactive sputtering from planar and rotating cylindrical magnetrons has been studied. Energy resolved mass spectrometry was used to measure the energy and mass distribution of the negative ions. Also the angular distribution of the high energy ions was characterized for planar as well as for rotating cylindrical magnetrons. Besides these measurements, a binary collision Monte Carlo simulation code, SiMTRA, was adapted in order to simulate the energy, mass, and angular distribution of the high energy negative ions. All simulated distributions, for both planar and rotating cylindrical magnetrons, were in excellent correspondence with the experimental observations. Also a model for the amount of high energy negative O(-) ions was proposed Indeed, the logarithm of the amount of high energy negative O(-) ions is shown to be related to the secondary electron emission yield of the oxide target, and these two parameters are known to be related to the work function. The SiMTRA simulations, in combination with knowledge of the work function or secondary electron emission yield of the target, allow modeling in the flux of high energy negative ions during reactive magnetron sputtering. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics [doi:10.1063/1.3247545]