Influence of deposition on the reactive sputter behaviour during rotating cylindrical magnetron sputtering

A key feature of a rotating cylindrical magnetron is the changing race track position due to target rotation. To study the reactive magnetron sputtering of aluminium for this magnetron type, so-called sputter cleaning experiments were designed. In these experiments, the target was first sputtered without rotating the target. After this treatment, the target was sputter cleaned in pure argon while rotating the target. In the meantime, the discharge voltage was recorded as a function of time. The obtained results can be understood by including compound deposition on the target as an extra mechanism for target poisoning.