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.