The possibility to optimize a high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharge through mixing two different power levels in the pulse pattern is investigated. Standard HiPIMS pulses are used to create the ions of the film-forming material. After each HiPIMS pulse an off-time follows, during which no voltage (or, optionally, a reversed voltage) is applied, letting the remaining ions in the magnetic trap escape towards the substrate. After these off-times, a long second pulse with lower amplitude, in the dc magnetron sputtering range, is applied. During this pulse, which is continued up to the following HiPIMS pulse, mainly neutrals of the film-forming material are produced. This pulse pattern makes it possible to achieve separate optimization of the ion production, and of the neutral atom production, that constitute the film-forming flux to the substrate. The optimization process is thereby separated into two sub-problems. The first sub-problem concerns minimizing the energy cost for ion production, and the second sub-problem deals with how to best split a given allowed discharge power between ion production and neutral production. The optimum power split is decided by the lowest ionized flux fraction that gives the desired film properties for a specific application. For the first sub-problem we describe a method where optimization is achieved by the selection of five process parameters: the HiPIMS pulse amplitude, the HiPIMS pulse length, the off-time, the working gas pressure, and the magnetic field strength. For the second sub-problem, the splitting of power between ion and neutral production, optimization is achieved by the selection of the values of two remaining process parameters, the HiPIMS pulse repetition frequency and the discharge voltage of the low-power pulse.

研究了通过将两种不同功率电平混合在脉冲模式中来优化高功率脉冲磁控溅射（HiPIMS）放电的可能性。标准HiPIMS脉冲用于产生成膜材料的离子。在每个HiPIMS脉冲之后，将关闭一段时间，在此期间不会施加电压（或可选地，施加反向电压），从而使磁阱中的其余离子向基板逸出。在这些关闭时间之后，在dc磁控管溅射范围内，施加了一个较长的，振幅较低的第二个脉冲。在此脉冲之前，一直持续到下一个HiPIMS脉冲，主要生成成膜材料的中性点。这种脉冲模式可以实现离子产生和中性原子产生的单独优化，它们构成了到基底的成膜助熔剂。因此，优化过程分为两个子问题。第一个子问题涉及使离子生产的能源成本最小化，第二个子问题涉及如何在离子生产和中性生产之间最佳地分配给定的允许放电功率。最佳功率分配取决于最低的电离通量分数，该分数可为特定应用提供所需的薄膜性能。对于第一个子问题，我们描述一种通过选择五个过程参数来实现优化的方法：HiPIMS脉冲幅度，HiPIMS脉冲长度，关闭时间，工作气体压力和磁场强度。对于第二个子问题，离子和中性生成之间的权力分配