1. Magnetron sputtering for thin film synthesis

1.1 Basic principle

Magnetron sputtering is a technique for depositing thin metallic (conductive) or ceramic (insulating) films using plasma.

Plasma, often referred to as the "fourth state of matter," is a gas consisting of neutral particles, positive (or negative) ions, and electrons. The northern lights, lightning, and flames are all natural manifestations of plasma.

In cold plasmas, which are discussed here, for the treatment of materials, the energy of electrons is much higher than that of ions and neutral atoms and molecules. However, macroscopically, the plasma remains globally neutral and close to ambient temperature. Electrons transfer their energy to the atoms and molecules of the gas, which become ionized, dissociated, and...