US Patent 9840770 Generating a highly ionized plasma in a plasma chamber

A method of generating a highly ionized plasma in a plasma chamber. A neutral gas is provided to be ionized in the plasma chamber at pressure below 50 Pa. At least one high energy high power electrical pulse is supplied with power equal or larger than 100 kW and energy equal or larger than 10 J, to at least one magnetron cathode in connection with a target in the plasma chamber. A highly ionized plasma is produced directly from the neutral gas in a plasma volume such that the plasma volume cross section increases during a current rise period. Atoms are sputtered from the target with the highly ionized plasma. At least part of the sputtered atoms are ionized.