Research Projects

In literature, electric fluctuations have been observed in magnetron sputtering (MS) plasmas and other low-temperature plasma sources. Their role in discharge maintenance and charged particle transport is still not clearly understood. This proposed work provides a piece in that puzzle. This topic has significance since the science of MS plasmas may hold a key to numerous applications. Several groups have also claimed the generation of plasma flares due to the growth of instabilities in MS plasmas. We still don't know what role the instabilities and flares/spokes (if present) play regarding the deposition rate and the properties of deposited thin films in MS discharges. This work aims at experimental studies on plasma generation and electric fluctuations in a planar MS system. Various diagnostics like Langmuir probe, energy flux probe, optical emission spectroscopy, and CCD camera will be used to make a detailed investigation of plasma parameters and non-linear fluctuations, energy deposition on the substrate, excitation and ionization mechanism, and the nature of the ionization zone (if present) in MS plasmas, respectively. The effect of plasma parameters and fluctuations on the growth of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films and their properties will be investigated in detail.