Comparison of HIPIMS sputtered Ag- and Cu-surfaces leading to accelerated bacterial inactivation in the dark

Recently, compact uniform and adhesive films of Ag and Cu have been prepared by DC-magnetron sputtering (DC), pulsed DC magnetron sputtering (DCP) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS). This study reports the HIPIMS deposition for Ag and Cu on textile fabrics, the bacterial inactivation kinetics and the nature of the species in the plasma produced during HIPIMS sputtering. The deposition rates of Ag and Cu atoms and the bacterial inactivation times are reported in the dark and under light as a function of the applied peak currents during the sputtering by HIPIMS. By X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the surface percentage atomic concentration and the oxidation state changes are reported during bacterial inactivation. The Ar and metal-ions produced in the magnetron chamber were determined by mass spectroscopy (QMS). A mechanism for the bacterial inactivation is suggested for Ag and Cu HIPIMS sputtered surfaces.