Plasma flares in high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Self-organized ionization zones and associated plasma flares were recorded with fast cameras in side-on view. Flare velocities were estimated to be about 20 000 m/s suggesting that the local tangential field Eξ is about 2000 V/m based on a concept where flare-causing electrons are initially ejected by Eξ×B drift. At distances of 10 mm and greater from the target, where the electric field is very small, plasma flares are guided by the magnetic field B.