Influence of surface roughness on surface morphology and sputtering performance of magnetron sputtering etched area of pure Cu target

doi:10.13251/j.issn.0254-6051.2021.08.044

Abstract

Abstract: By installing the pure Cu specimens with different roughness in the combined target to ensure the same tested conditions, and the influence of surface roughness on the surface morphology of the magnetron sputtering etched area of the metal target and its sputtering performance were studied by means of white-light interferometer, ion-plating machine, electronic analytical balance and SEM. The results show that the specimens with different roughness can seriously affect the surface morphologies after sputtering. Pits and continuous distributed protrusions are appeared in the deepest etched area of the target, while “bright spots” formed by sputtering pits and incompletely etched grains are appeared in the shallower etched areas. The inside of grains with different orientations and grain boundaries are etched with step-like morphologies, but the height and width of the steps in the grains are much smaller than that at grain boundaries, that is why the etching rate of the grain boundaries is faster than that of the grain internal. After sputtering for 10 h, the larger surface roughness of the initial specimens, the larger surface roughness in the deepest etched area. In the first 10 h of the sputtering process of the specimens, the smallest the initial surface roughness, the largest sputtering yield. Therefore, the film deposition rate and the stability of the sputtering process can be increased by reducing the surface roughness of the target material.

Key words: magnetron sputtering, pure Cu target, surface roughness, surface morphology, sputtering properties

CLC Number:

TG146.2⁺3

Yang Wenhao, Bao Mingdong, Tang Bin, Wang Yupeng, Zhao Guohua, Wang Shuaikang, Wang Duo. Influence of surface roughness on surface morphology and sputtering performance of magnetron sputtering etched area of pure Cu target[J]. Heat Treatment of Metals, 2021, 46(8): 230-235.

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