A Method to Improve High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering for Industrial Applications

High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) is an ionized physical vapor deposition (iPVD) technique that utilizes high-power pulses applied to the sputtering target at low-duty cycles. Because of the high peak power densities in HIPIMS discharges, a larger fraction of sputtered material is ionized when compared with direct current magnetron sputtering (DCMS), producing depositions of higher quality but suffering from intrinsically low deposition rates when compared with DCMS, due to the "return effect." These low deposition rates hinder the ability to implement HIPIMS on an industrial scale. A new magnetic field configuration, "Tripack" magnet pack, which provides a higher deposition rate in a HIPIMS discharge for circular sputtering magnetrons, has been developed. The Tripack yielded deposition rates in HIPIMS comparable to or greater than standard magnet pack DCMS deposition rates for titanium. Also, the Tripack showed equivalent deposition rates for carbon at 500 W average power. To become industrially relevant, HIPIMS must produce higher deposition rates for linear cathodes, which can be scaled to any desirable size. This work shows the modeling and design of a linear cathode-driven Tripack that can be a simple upgrade to existing commercially available magnetrons.