Fast time resolved techniques as key to the understanding of energy and particle transport in HPPMS-plasmas

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the use of time-resolved diagnostic techniques like mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy to better understand energy and particle transport in high power pulsed magnetron sputtering plasmas, which are complex and dynamic.

Contribution

It introduces and applies time-resolved measurement methods to analyze energy and particle transport in HPPMS plasmas, providing new insights into plasma behavior during pulsed operation.

Findings

Time-resolved energy distribution of Ar$^{1+}$ ions measured.

Phase Resolved Optical Emission Spectroscopy performed on Ar I line.

Diagnostic techniques reveal detailed transport properties of HPPMS plasmas.

Abstract

High power pulsed magnetron sputtering (HPPMS) plasmas are pulsed discharges where the plasma composition as well as the fluxes and energies of ions are changing during the pulse. The time resolved energy distribution for Ar$^{1+}$ ions was measured and Phase Resolved Optical Emission Spectroscopy (PROES) for the Ar I line at 760 nm was done to get more insight in the transport properties of the plasma forming noble gas. These measurements were performed during HPPMS of titanium with argon at 0.5 Pa. The peak power density during the 50 $\mu$s pulses was 1.8 kW/cm$^2$. In this contribution we demonstrate how time resolved mass spectrometry and ICCD cameras can be used to shed more light on energy and particle transport in HPPMS-plasmas.