Anomalous electron transport in high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Oscillating electric fields in the megahertz range have been studied in a high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS) plasma with the use of electric field probe arrays. One possible reason for these oscillations to occur is charge perturbation—or so-called modified two-stream instabilities (MTSIs). It is known that MTSIs give rise to acceleration of the charged plasma species and can give a net transport of electrons across the magnetic field lines. Measurements of these oscillations confirm trends, specifically of the frequency dependence on ion mass and magnetic field strength as expected from the theory of MTSI waves. These results help to explain the previously reported anomalous fast electron transport in HIPIMS discharges, where classical theory of diffusion using collisions to transport electrons has failed.