SPUTTER-DEPOSITION BY A NEW PENNING-DISCHARGE SOURCE WITH AN AXIALLY INTEGRATED HOT-CATHODE

A hot-cathode Penning-discharge sputtering (HC-PDS) apparatus has been newly developed, which normally operates at an Ar gas pressure of 10(-4) Torr and provides a high-density ion flux even at low target voltages below -0.10 kV. As one performance test, we tried sputter-depositions from Mo, W, and Ta refractory metals. By means of PIXE analysis, it was found that argon was incorporated, but its concentration was estimated to be less than 2 at%, while other impurities coming from the construction materials of the HC-PDS apparatus could be reduced to as low as 1 at%. An attempt was made to fabricate a high-T(c) superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O film from a single target. A film close to the nominal composition ratio of the target was obtained at lower pressures of around 1 x 10(-3) Torr.