Preparation of Silicon Oxide Films by a Hot-Target Impulse Magnetron Deposition in a Reactive Mixture

The modes of maintaining a pulsed magnetron discharge with a hot thermally insulated silicon target during operation in oxygen-containing gas mixtures (Ar + O2) have been studied. The range of the average power density at the target was 60–120 W/cm2 at a pulse duration of 100–300 µs and a repetition rate of 0.5–2 kHz. Maps of stable operating modes of the sputtering system have been determined. SixOy coatings were prepared on single-crystal silicon substrates at different values of the oxygen fraction in the gas flow and various parameters of the magnetron pulsed power supply and diagnosed.