Investigation of gas discharge features during HiPIMS using optical emission spectroscopy

The paper presents the results of the investigation of the emission spectra of a gas discharge during high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) of a titanium target at different power supply parameters. In such mode, the fraction of ionized atoms of the target material in the discharge increases significantly, what affects the properties of the deposited coatings. The characteristic features of the operation of the system in HiPIMS mode were singled out, and also the discharge spectra were compared at high-power impulse and conventional (sputtering on a direct current) operation modes of the magnetron. As a result of the study, it was shown that the use of optical emission spectroscopy during HiPIMS makes it possible to effectively determine the parameters of the stable operation of the system and determine the boundary at which a transition into high-power regime occurs.