Employment of Magnetron to Enhance Langmuir Probe Characteristics of Argon Glow Discharge Plasma in Sputtering System

Abstract

In this study, the parameters affecting the Langmuir characteristics of a closed-field unbalanced magnetron plasma sputtering system were studied. These parameters include the effect of variation in working pressure on the current-voltage characteristics of Langmuir probe diagnostics in unmagnetized glow-discharge plasma. Also, the current-voltage characteristics of Langmuir probe diagnostics in glow-discharge plasma at working pressure of 0.7mbar and three different cases (no magnetron, using one magnetron at the cathode, and using dual magnetrons) were introduced. The current-voltage characteristics of Langmuir probe in glow-discharge plasma at three different positions of the Langmuir probe inside plasma volume were determined. The variation of electron temperature and density in plasma with working gas pressure was determined at the center point between the electrodes when dual magnetrons were used. Finally, the effect of mixing nitrogen with argon on the Langmuir probe characteristics at total working pressure of 0.7mbar and inter-electrode distance of 4cm was introduced.