Flux of positive ions and film growth in reactive sputtering of Al-doped ZnO thin films

The reactive magnetron sputtering deposition of Al-doped zinc oxide thin films using a dual magnetron has been studied for a flux of positive ions and the total thermal load onto the substrate. The spatial distribution of both quantities has been studied using a thermal probe and a retarding field analyzer mounted onto a moveable carrier system. The positive ions were found to mostly originate from the plasma sheath at the substrate, with the spatial distribution determined by the plasma density distribution in the coating chamber. The total energy flux to the substrate mainly originated from the plasma, with positive ions only contributing a small part of the total plasma irradiation. In the tested conditions and with the coater examined, the quality of the deposited films mainly depends on oxygen distribution on the substrate and is not a direct consequence of the total energy flux to the substrate.