Magnetron sputtering is widely used to deposit thin films on productsserving a broad range of applications and industries. Thin films arefabricated to exacting standards and so the processes producing themmust be tightly regulated. The power systems driving these processes aresome of the most critical elements for achieving necessary control.Essential in today¿s sputtering power supplies is the ability to deliverprecise power along with the means to quickly respond to arcs that canbe extremely disruptive to the control and quality of the deposition.Arc management as it is commonly termed, traditionally involves thedetection of either high current or low voltage anomalies that in turninvoke a temporary interruption of applied power to extinguish theevent. Over the years evolutionary innovation in power supply design andcontrol has dramatically improved arc detection and significantlyreduced the energy released to detected arcs. Reactive sputtering ofdielectric films is particularly problematic for arc management.Insulating films produced during reactive sputtering are highly prone tocharge buildup and eventual breakdown leading to the possibility ofsevere arcing. Pulsed-dc power systems were developed specifically tobetter manage arc activity and ensure stable power delivery to reactivedielectric deposition processes. Recently, pulsed-dc has been shown toalso offer advantages to non-reactive, metal sputtering processes due tosuperior arc suppression. This presentation discusses the factors thatcommonly influence the formation of arcs in magnetron sputtering, theinfluence they can have on a thin film process and the methods used inmodern power systems to minimize their impact. Effective arc managementfor both dc and pulsed-dc sputtering will be covered.

BIO: Dan Carter holds a Masters degree in Materials Science and Engineeringfrom Northwestern University and a BS in Materials Science from PurdueUniversity. Mr. Carter joined Advanced Energy Industries in 1998 afterspending 12 years in semiconductor manufacturing. Currently he is asenior member of the technical staff managing AE¿s Plasma ApplicationsLaboratory. Activities within this group include plasma based producttesting as well as core technology development for plasma basedprocesses. Over the past few years, Mr. Carter has become active in theresearch and development of active control methods for reactivesputtering of dielectric films and most recently on methods forstabilizing power delivery into RF driven plasmas.