Benefits of the controlled reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering of stoichiometric ZrO2 films

摘要: Abstract High-power impulse magnetron sputtering with a pulsed reactive gas (oxygen) flow control was used for high-rate depositions of densified, highly optically transparent, stoichiometric ZrO2 films onto floating substrates. The were performed using strongly unbalanced directly water-cooled planar Zr target 100 mm diameter in argon–oxygen mixtures at the argon pressure 2 Pa. repetition frequency 500 Hz deposition-averaged power density from 5 Wcm−2 to 53 Wcm−2. voltage pulse durations ranged 50 μs 200 μs. target-to-substrate distance 100 mm. An optimized location oxygen inlets front and their orientation toward substrate made it possible improve quality due minimized arcing sputtered enhance deposition rates up 120 nm/min 52 Wcm−2, duration 200 μs temperature less than 120 °C. exhibited hardness 16 GPa, refractive index 2.19 an extinction coefficient 2 × 10−3 (both wavelength 550 nm). Under these conditions, we measured highest (Zr+ + Zr2+) ( O 2 +  + O+) ion fractions total fluxes positive ions, low population high-energy O− ions position.