Physicochemical model for reactive sputtering of a sandwich target

Abstract

A non-isothermal physicochemical model of reactive sputtering is extended in this work. The new version is used in this work to simulate reactive sputtering of a sandwich target with two plates of different metals located on the same axis. The external plate contains cut-outs through which the internal plate is sputtered. The main independent process parameters are the reactive gas flow introduced into the vacuum chamber, the discharge current density, and the total area of cut-outs in the external plate. The physical model of the process is described by a system containing 14 algebraic equations. Only its numerical solution is possible, which allows studying the sputtering process in detail. The model can be used to estimate the conditions that ensure the deposition of a compound film in a real technological process. The model was used to analyze sputtering of a target with internal titanium and external tantalum plates in oxygen. Application of the model in particular cases of sputtering of single targets showed that it is adequate.