On the role of chemisorption in the formation of the target surface compound layer during reactive magnetron sputtering

Modeling of the reactive sputter processes requires a description of the target processes which results in the formation of a compound layer on the target. The sputter removal of the formed compound is balanced by compound formation mechanisms. Chemisorption of reactive gas atoms and molecules was initially identified as one of these processes. Further improvement of these chemisorption based models was achieved by the inclusion of processes such direct reactive ion implantation, knock-on implantation of chemisorbed species, and the redeposition of sputtered material on the target. In a recent study, the importance of ion implantation was questioned and an alternative model proposed. The results of this model are confronted with existing literature to investigate its validity.