Effects of low-energy ion bombardment on RF sputtered MoS2-xfilms

Abstract

Ion bombardment at glancing incidence (67 degrees from substrate normal) with 300 eV argon ions during deposition is shown to have a pronounced densification effect on MoS_2-x thin films. Comparison with as-sputtered samples gave a density increase of up to 100%, depending on the ion dose and substrate temperature during deposition. On the other hand, resputtering of the growing film occurs as a result of the off-normal incidence of the ion beam.