Ion current distribution on a 200-mm-diameter disk target by titanium cathodic arc plasma-based ion implantation and deposition

Titanium nitride (TiN) film was deposited on a 200-mm-diameter disk target using a titanium cathodic arc discharge with a current of 80 A dc at a nitrogen pressure of 10 Pa in a plasma-based ion implantation and deposition system. The target position was 150 and 400 mm from the exit of the arc source. The distribution of ion current on the disk target was measured. For a distance of 400 mm, the ion current is recorded even at the target edge, while the ions are hardly extracted near at the edge for 150 mm distance. The film thickness weakly distributes along the a radial direction for the 150-mm distance. The current distribution is due to violent vaporization of the material on the cathode. However, no change of the film properties such as atomic concentration and preferred orientation to a radial direction is observed for both distances.