Behaviour of gas conditions during vacuum arc discharges used for deposition of thin films

The paper concerns an important problem which is connected with the inclusion of some impurities in the deposited metal film. It was found that appearance of contaminants in the film is induced mainly by water vapor remnants inside the vacuum chamber. The paper presents information on changes in the gas composition during and between arc-discharges, which is of primary importance for the selection of appropriate experimental conditions. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.