In Situ Modeling of Mass Deposition Rates in a Magnetron Sputtering System

With various applications in the energy sector, thin film technology is more relevant than ever. Knowledge of how to create thin films with different elements and material properties is essential in order to advance next-generation technologies. Therefore, this project aims to model the mass deposition rates of five different sources in a magnetron sputtering system to improve thin film research. The project is conducted at Uppsala University, with the goal of developing different mathematical models in order to predict the mass deposition rates on the substrate in the sputtering chamber. Three single-source models are developed and their accuracy at three different points are compared, using quartz crystal microbalances. The models’ predictions are also compared to ex situ composition measurements of thin film substrates. Furthermore, two additional co-sputtering models are developed to consider adjustments of the predictions when two sources are sputtered simultaneously. The results show that the “exponential model” is the most accurate single-source model and the “delta model” is the most accurate adjustment model for co-sputtering.