Particle beam experiments for the investigation of plasma-surface interactions: application to magnetron sputtering and polymer treatment

A beam experiment is presented to study heterogeneous reactions relevant to plasma-surface interactions. Atom and ion beams are focused onto the sample to expose it to quantified beams of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, noble gas ions and metal vapor. The heterogeneous surface processes are monitored in-situ and in real time by means of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Two examples illustrate the capabilities of the particle beam setup: oxidation and nitriding of aluminum as a model of target poisoning during reactive magnetron sputtering, and plasma treatment of polymers (PET, PP).