SURFACE EFFECTS IN REACTIVE ION PLATING

Ion plating is a generic term for deposition processes (vacuum-based and plasma-based) where concurrent or periodic energetic heavy particle bombardment during deposition is used to modify the composition, morphology, microstructure and properties of the deposited material. The beneficial effects of controlled bombardment are well documented in reactive deposition (and etching) processes however the mechanisms involved and their relative importance are poorly defined and understood. This paper reviews some of the possible mechanisms important in reactive ion plating and how they may vary with deposition conditions.