TY - JOUR
T1 - Determination of the sputter rate variation pattern of a silicon carbide target for radio frequency magnetron sputtering using optical transmission measurements
AU - Gálvez De La Puente, G.
AU - Guerra Torres, J. A.
AU - Erlenbach, O.
AU - Steidl, M.
AU - Weingärtner, R.
AU - De Zela, F.
AU - Winnacker, A.
PY - 2010/10/25
Y1 - 2010/10/25
N2 - We produce amorphous silicon carbide thin films (a-SiC) by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering from SiC bulk target. We present the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target as a function of process parameters, like target sample distance, rf power, sputtering rate and process gas pressure. The emission pattern is determined by means of thickness distribution of the deposited a-SiC films obtained from optical transmission measurements using a slightly improved method of Swanepoel concerning the determination of construction of the envelopes in the interference pattern of the transmission spectra. A calibration curve is presented which allows the conversion of integrated transmission to film thickness. Holding constant a set of process parameters and only varying the target sample distance the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target was determined, which allowed us to predict the deposition rate distribution for a wide range of process parameters and target geometry. In addition, we have found that the transmission spectra of the a-SiC films change with time and saturate after approximately 10 days. Within this process no change in thickness is involved, so that the determination of thickness using transmission data is justified.
AB - We produce amorphous silicon carbide thin films (a-SiC) by radio frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering from SiC bulk target. We present the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target as a function of process parameters, like target sample distance, rf power, sputtering rate and process gas pressure. The emission pattern is determined by means of thickness distribution of the deposited a-SiC films obtained from optical transmission measurements using a slightly improved method of Swanepoel concerning the determination of construction of the envelopes in the interference pattern of the transmission spectra. A calibration curve is presented which allows the conversion of integrated transmission to film thickness. Holding constant a set of process parameters and only varying the target sample distance the emission pattern of the rf magnetron with SiC target was determined, which allowed us to predict the deposition rate distribution for a wide range of process parameters and target geometry. In addition, we have found that the transmission spectra of the a-SiC films change with time and saturate after approximately 10 days. Within this process no change in thickness is involved, so that the determination of thickness using transmission data is justified.
KW - Deposition rate
KW - Film thickness determination
KW - Magnetron sputtering
KW - Optical constants
KW - Thin films
KW - Wide bandgap semiconductor
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956471365&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mseb.2010.03.012
DO - 10.1016/j.mseb.2010.03.012
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956471365
SN - 0921-5107
VL - 174
SP - 127
EP - 131
JO - Materials Science and Engineering: B
JF - Materials Science and Engineering: B
IS - 1-3
ER -