An in-situ monitor to measure the momentum flux during physical vapour deposition

A tool to measure the momentum flux during physical vapour deposition has been developed. This tool basically consists of a torsion plate, i.e. a plate hooked up by a thin wire. Due to the impingement of particles, the torsion plate will rotate. Measuring this rotation allows the user to quantify the momentum flux towards the substrate during physical vapour deposition. The measurement of the momentum flux during reactive magnetron sputtering as a function of several deposition parameters, such as target-substrate distance, discharge current, pressure or reactive gas flow, is demonstrated in this paper. Also a relation with the mechanical properties is shown.