On the Deposition Rate of Magnetron Sputtered Thin Films at Oblique Angles

We describe the magnetron sputtering deposition of thin films at oblique angles. A general relation between the deposition rate of the film and experimental parameters such as gas pressure or substrate tilt angle is deduced and experimentally tested. The model also permits the direct determination of the thermalization mean free path of the sputtered particles in the plasma gas, a key magnitude defining the balance between ballistic and diffusive flows in the deposition reactor. The good agreement between experimental and calculated results supports the validity of our description to explain the main features of the magnetron sputtering deposition of thin films at oblique angles. E-Mail: [email protected]