Features of Magnetron Deposition by Sputtering Boron Target in Reactive Gases Medium

Boron-based coatings possess a number of useful properties and their synthesis is an important concern. These coatings can be produced by magnetron sputtering of a pure boron target in a reactive gas atmosphere such as oxygen, nitrogen, or acetylene. The use of a pure boron target in a conventional magnetron sputter system is difficult, because under normal conditions boron has high electrical resistivity of about 10 MΩ cm. However, since boron is a semiconductor material, its resistivity drops sharply with increasing temperature. A boron target, thermally insulated from the cooled magnetic system, can be gradually heated by the magnetron discharge to a temperature of 450–750°С and can sustain a stable discharge in a reactive gas or argon atmosphere. Using such a magnetron sputtering system, we have fabricated boron coatings in a reactive gas environment. Here we describe the properties of these coatings, their deposition rate, and the characteristics of the magnetron sputtering system.