Plasma Emission Redistribution in a Single Cylce of a Pulsed DC Magnetron

Time-resolved images of the optical emissions from a pulsed dc titanium target planar rectangular sputtering magnetron plasma were taken using Argon spectral filters and a Roper Scientific ICCD camera with a time resolution of 0.05-0.2 μs. At the beginning of the \u27on-time\u27, when the power is turned on, the discharge initially starts preferentially in two opposite curved sections (\u27cross corners\u27) of the magnetron race track, where it exhibits the most intense plasma emissions. During the rest of the \u27on-time\u27, the emissions from the straight sections of the race track of the magnetron are always slightly more intense than the emissions from the curved sections of the race track. This pattern extends into the start of the \u27off-time\u27, when the power is turned off. In an effort to explain this \u27plasma emission redistribution (PER)\u27 effect, we used a Monte Carlo (MC) approach to simulate the optical emissions from our pulsed dc magnetron plasma. The simulation reproduces the PER effect, which can be linked to the specific electric (E) and magnetic (B) field spatial distributions and electric field distribution temporal variations in conjunction with the electron E x B drift

The Effect of Composition and Oxygen Pressure on the Superconducting Properties of NdBa2Cu3O7-x Thin Films, deposited by Rotatable Magnetron Sputtering

Rotatable magnetron sputtering is still a promising technique for scaling up of large area deposition of high temperature superconducting thin films. Furthermore, it represents a standard equipment for very large area web coating and glass coating in industrial environment. We have already demonstrated that with rotatable magnetron sputtering epitaxial c-axis oriented NdBa2Cu3O7-x (NBCO) thin films could be obtained on MgO and YSZ single crystals and buffered tapes. The superconducting properties, like T-c and J(c), of these films are still reduced due to low pressure sputtering. The c-axis lattice parameter is expanded or the sputtered NBCO thin film exists of 2 phases, one with the correct c-axis parameter and the other phase shows an elongated c-axis parameter, which influences the superconducting properties. In this work we will investigate the properties of thin films, sputtered with a nonstoichiometric target at low pressure (classical sputter regime). Especially, the influence of the oxygen partial pressure is very important and will be studied