Reactive magnetron sputter-deposition of NbN and (Nb,Ti)N films related to sputtering source characterization and optimization

We compare the properties of planar single track balanced and unbalanced sputtering sources by comparing the film properties of NbN and (Nb,Ti)N films sputtered from each source. Our experiments show that reducing the effectiveness of the magnetic trap by changing the magnet configuration is equivalent to reducing the sputtering pressure. We also examine the behavior of the sputtering sources throughout the target lifetime. The balanced sputtering source shows an increase in the magnetic trap effectiveness and a reduction in the heat flux towards the substrate surface as the target becomes grooved (for the fixed applied power and gas pressure), while the unbalanced design shows the opposite behavior. We also show that it is possible to optimize the configuration of the magnetron magnets to produce stable and reproducible (Nb, Ti)N films under the same gas pressure and applied power throughout the target lifetime. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.