Pulsed and Pulsed Bias Sputtering

This book provides basic knowledge on the design of the instrumentation for pulsed and pulsed bias sputtering techniques as well as the knowledge for the control of thin film properties using the deposition parameters such as pulsing cycle and duty.§The book focuses on the basic principles and experimentation of the pulsed and pulsed bias sputter deposition of thin films. The transient charging characteristics of the target in the DC reactive sputtering of insulator films and of the insulating substrate in the DC sputtering of metal films without the pulsing are discussed in detail. The predictions and experimentation of the discharging (neutralization) strategies using pulsing potentials are presented. Examples are given on the growth of thin films using these strategies and on the relationship between the film properties the pulsing parameters. In addition, the book also presents in a coherent manner the basic physics of DC plasma formation and the utilization of the plasma in the sputtering environment. The book will not only be useful for academic researchers but also for industrial scientists interested in sputter coating of high quality metal and insulating films.