Flow of high-energy positive oxygen ions from plasma onto the substrate in a pulsed magnetron discharge with a hot target.

Abstract

A group of high-energy positive O^+ ions was detected in a plasma flowhigh-current pulsed magnetron discharge with a hot target in an Ar/O_2 gas mixture. The mechanism for the formation of accelerated O^+ ions may be the conversion of accelerated ones in the cathode layer of negative ions O^– → O^+ in the processes of charge exchange or ionization by electron impact.