HiPIMS magnetized plasma afterglow diagnostic

Abstract

Deposition of thin films that are resistant to aggressive environment conditions, using the High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) technique, represents a technological challenge. To establish the optimal operating conditions it is desirable to know the lifetime of the magnetized plasma at the end of the pulsed cathode current. The table-top system we developed allows one to measure the lifetime for all operating HiPIMS types, both for short and long pulses, based on the rapid increase of the current when applying a voltage pulse with very short rise time, up to a value which depends of the initial magnetized plasma characteristics.