Dynamics of HiPIMS Discharge Operated in Oxygen

We report on time- and species-resolved plasma imaging analysis of high-power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge operated above a Cr target in pure oxygen. It was found that the discharge emission is dominated by oxygen species. No metal-dominated sputtering has been detected, in contrast to the discharges in Ar, N
₂
, and N
₂
/Ar mixtures investigated previously.