Paschen Curve and Film Growth in Low Pressure Capacitively Coupled Magnetron Plasma Polymerization

• Published in: Contributions to plasma physics (1988) Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 283 - 288
• Main Authors: Ledernez, L., Olcaytug, F., Urban, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin WILEY-VCH Verlag 01-05-2012; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Glow discharges; growth rate; magnetron; Paschen curve; plasma polymerization
• ISSN: 0863-1042; 1521-3986
• DOI: 10.1002/ctpp.201100054

The deposition of dielectric nanofilms by magnetron AF plasma polymerization between two planar electrodes shows a number of advantages over the standard RF method without magnetron enhancement. Because it is powered at 15 kHz, it works as a DC discharge swapping side every half cycle. We investigated here the effect of the magnetron on the breakdown voltage in our system taking Paschen curves with a DC power source. Subsequently, we related the Paschen curves with the deposition rate of the coating, showing that the Paschen minimum corresponds to the maximum growth rate as far as the pressure and the inter‐electrode distance are concerned. This result can be used to quickly determine the maximum growth rate in a given configuration via the measurement of a Paschen curve (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)