Pulsed magnetron sputtering was demonstrated in high vacuum: no sputter gas was used at any time. Sustained selfsputtering was initiated by multiply charged ions from a short vacuum arc. Copper ion currents to an ion collector in excess of 30 A were measured, implying a plasma density of about 6 x1018 m-3. This technology may prove useful for metal coatings free of noble gas inclusions and suggests that magnetrons could operate in the vacuum of space. In addition to coating objects in space, the momentum of the sputtered atoms and ions may be utilized in space thrusters.
BT - Applied Physics Letters C1 -Windows and Daylighting Group
C2 - LBNL-190E CN - LBNL-190E LA - eng N2 -Pulsed magnetron sputtering was demonstrated in high vacuum: no sputter gas was used at any time. Sustained selfsputtering was initiated by multiply charged ions from a short vacuum arc. Copper ion currents to an ion collector in excess of 30 A were measured, implying a plasma density of about 6 x1018 m-3. This technology may prove useful for metal coatings free of noble gas inclusions and suggests that magnetrons could operate in the vacuum of space. In addition to coating objects in space, the momentum of the sputtered atoms and ions may be utilized in space thrusters.
PY - 2008 EP - 221503 T2 - Applied Physics Letters TI - Gasless sputtering: Opportunities for ultraclean metallization, coatings in space, and propulsion VL - 92 ER -