Thin layers of indium tin oxide are applied as electrical contacts in flat displays since they are conductive and optically transparent [I]. Targets are coated with IT0 by reactive magnetron sputtering. A partially reduced ITO-sputtering target is eroded by a Arlo plasma. Sputtered In and Sn atoms are oxidized within the plasma and redeposited on the substrate. During the sputtering process sma...

Arc and glow discharges are defined based on their cathode processes. Arcs are characterized by collective electron emission, which can be stationary with hot cathodes (thermionic arcs), or nonstationary with cold cathodes (cathodic arcs). A brief review on cathodic arc properties serves as the starting point to better understand arcing phenomena in sputtering. Although arcing occurs in both me...

A novel radio frequency magnetron sputtering method for the deposition of composite films which consist of chromium oxide and chromium ~Cr2O3/Cr-cermet! is presented. As an extension to conventional reactive sputtering of a Cr target in an argon and oxygen atmosphere the oxygen flow into the process chamber is switched periodically on and off. This leads to an oscillating oxygen partial pressur...

We report x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis of native Ti target surface chemistry during magnetron sputtering in Ar/N2 atmosphere. To avoid air exposure, the target is capped immediately after sputtering with a few-nm-thick Al overlayers, hence, information about the chemical state of target elements as a function of N2 partial pressure pN2 is preserved. Contrary to previous repor...