Control of Vacuum Arc Macroparticles by High-Frequency Short-Pulsed Negative Bias Application

Background/Objectives: Paper is devoted to a brief review of the investigation of short negative bias pulse application for titanium and aluminum macroparticles control on the substrate immersed in vacuum arc plasma. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The vacuum-arc plasma generator with a titanium or aluminum cathode which operated in a DC mode with the arc current 100 A was set on the side flange of the vacuum chamber. A high-frequency short-pulse negative bias generator was used to carry out the investigations. The parameters of the generator are: pulse duration 1–9 μs, pulse repetition rates 105 pulse per second (p.p.s.), negative pulse amplitude 0.5–3.5 kV. The MP densities on the substrate surface were studied using optical and electron (Hitachi TM–1000 and Hitachi TM–S 3400 N) microscopes. Findings: It was found that the decreasing of MP surface number density on a negatively biased substrate is determined by the pulse amplitude, pulse duration, pulse frequency, plasma density and processing time. A possibility to reduce the macroparticle number density more than 1000 fold has been demonstrated. Applications/Improvements: The application of high voltage highfrequency short-pulse negative bias to a substrate immersed in vacuum arc plasma provides the possibility of the multiple decrease of MP number surface density and opens a possibility for realization plasma immersion metal ion implantation technology using DC vacuum arc plasma.