Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) is a method of thin film deposition that involves ejecting material from a “target” source onto a “substrate“.
In reactive sputtering, the deposited film is formed by chemical reaction between the target material and a gas which is introduced into the vacuum chamber. Oxide and nitride films are often fabricated using reactive sputtering. The composition of the film can be controlled by varying the relative pressures of the inert and reactive gases.
Adding RF bias to the chuck means the substrate can be pre-cleaned before deposition. In addition, a small bias during the process can help to reduce contaminates such as oxygen, and increase the energy which can produce better adhesion, and crystal structure.