ABSTRACT The reactive sputtering processes are used to deposit metal nitride films (TiN and TaN) with superior material properties. This study investigates the fluxes and the associated energies of the sputtered metal atoms (Ti and Ta), the reflected energetic Ar atoms, and the ions (Ar+ and N2+) to the substrate. A collisionless transport model based on thermal flux analogy was used to calculate the atom fluxes to the substrate. The results from previous studies were used to calculate the energy levels of the neutral atoms. The ion densities from a previous study and a sheath energy model were used for the ion energy and fluxes. The calculated values indicate that the energy levels for both atoms and ions are elevated during the sputtering process, and the ion energy levels (above 60 eV) are higher than the energy level of the neutrals by about 20 to 30 eV. In addition, the total ion flux to the substrate is about 10 times the neutral flux. Consequently, the total ion energy flux to the substrate is dominant (25 to 50 times) over the total neutral energy flux.
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