The optical emission spectroscopy study of an rf-plasma-enhanced magnetron sputtering system

Abstract Optical emission spectroscopy has been performed for unbalanced DC magnetron sputtering of Cu in Ar atmosphere with the enhanced ionization of inductively coupled plasma. The intensities of Cu, Cu + , Ar and Ar + lines were measured at various discharge parameters such as pressure and rf power. Both Cu and Cu + lines intensities initially increase and then decrease with increasing pressure. At the same time, Ar line intensity increases and the Ar + line intensity decreases with increasing pressure. With increasing rf power, all the lines intensities increase at different rates and become saturated when the rf power is greater than 700 W. The rf discharge exhibits mode jumping (E-mode to H-mode) and hysteresis phenomena. When the rf power increases to 400 W, the rf discharge mode jumps from E-mode to H-mode. When the rf power input decreases from 800 to 300 W, the rf discharge mode jumps back from H-mode to E-mode. However, during the mode change, the intensities of all lines are higher when switching from H-mode to E-mode than those when switching from E-mode to H-mode at the same rf power. In the rf power region, the ionization of Cu is significantly enhanced. The reasons of these phenomena are discussed.