| dc.description.abstract | The pulse direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering in the frequency range of 5 kHz to 350 kHz has been widely applied in thin film deposition, such as the preparation of dielectric films. During pulse DC magnetron discharge, changes in process parameters lead to variations in electron temperature and ion density in the plasma. Langmuir probes can be employed to measure plasma density, electron temperature, and plasma potential. In many studies, single Langmuir probes have been used to measure the time-resolved plasma environment generated by pulse DC discharge. The Welzel team, however, utilized homemade dual Langmuir probes to measure the time-resolved plasma environment, revealing variations in ion density and electron temperature at different times. They observed that under the same frequency but different duty cycles and varying distances between the cathode and probe, ion density exhibited distinct changes. Additionally, the correlation between electron temperature and pulse duration was observed near the cathode. There is limited literature on the use of dual Langmuir probes under different process parameters. In this study, we utilized a pulse DC power source for sputtering aluminum targets and investigated the impact of different process parameters on electron temperature and ion density. The results indicated that with increasing power, electron temperature increased from 7 eV to 11.5 eV, and ion density rose from 1×10^18 cm^(-3) to 7×10^18 cm^(-3). The distance between the target and probe also influenced electron temperature and ion density. As the measurement distance increased (from 1.5 cm to 10.1 cm), electron temperature decreased by approximately 27% (from 9 eV to 6.5 eV), and ion density decreased from 9.5×10^18 cm^(-3) to 2×10^18 cm^(-3). The results were further interpreted and discussed in the context of plasma behavior. | en_US |