TITLE:
Study the Addition of Lab-Made Gas Mixing Unit with Varying of Inter-Electrode Distances on the Characterization of DC Magnetron Sputtering System
AUTHORS:
Bahaa T. Chiad, Firas J. Kadhim, Ahmed A. Anber
KEYWORDS:
Gas Discharge, Breakdown Voltage, Paschen’s Law, DC Magnetron Sputtering
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
6,
2017
ABSTRACT: In this paper, the effect of lab-made gas mixing unit and inter-electrode distance on, current-voltage characteristics of argon and argon-nitrogen plasma, Paschen’s curve and variation of discharge current with working pressure are presented. The results showed the mixing of nitrogen gas with argon at ratio Ar:N2 of 1:1, an increase in the discharge current was observed, while at ratio Ar:N2 of 2.5:1 which increases the discharge current at the distance of 7.5 cm. Paschen’s curves have been showed, it is clear that the breakdown voltage VB increases as nitrogen gas percentage 50%. This effect is due to, the additional energy loss channel nitrogen gas such as vibration, rotational and molecular dissociation. The discharge current was varied by changing the working gas pressure. With increasing of working gas pressure, which is attributed to more molecules which are available for the electrons to collide with and to generate a new free electron and a positive ion and so making the DC voltage more negative. The discharge current is decreasing with increasing gas pressure above 3 mbar. The relation was plotted at certain discharge voltage of 600 V and three certain distances between the electrodes of (2.5, 4.5 and 7.5 cm).