Deposition of dense and smooth Ti films using ECR plasma-assisted magnetron sputtering

Abstract We report high quality Ti films grown in a novel electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma-assisted magnetron sputtering (PMS) deposition system. The films are compared with films deposited by conventional direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering. Using ECR-PMS, the argon plasma bombardment energy and Ti film deposition rate can be controlled separately, with the substrate bias voltage under feedback control. Results from SEM, AFM, XRD and PAS (scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and positron annihilation spectroscopy) show that the properties of Ti films prepared by ECR-PMS are greatly improved compared with conventional sputtering. SEM and AFM confirmed that ECR-PMS Ti films have a dense, smooth, mirror-like surface. Increasing the substrate bias of the ECR plasma from − 23 V to − 120 V while keeping a fixed sputtering bias voltage of − 40 V, the intensity of the (100) reflection of Ti film was a little strengthened, but (002) remained strongly preferred orientation. The XRD peak broadening of ECR-PMS Ti films is more than for conventional magnetron sputtering, due to grain refinement induced by Ar ion bombardment. Doppler broadening of PAS analysis reveals that the Ti films have fewer vacancy defects compared with films prepared by the conventional magnetron.