- Attempting to ignite a plasma at low power may require a high argon gas pressure.
- Power to the target should be ramped up slowly through the break-in period.
- Since the deposition rate increases as the power density increases, the natural tendency is to use high power to speed up the deposition.
- When the deposition run is complete, it is equally important to ramp-down power at the same rate as the ramp-up, allowing the target to cool slowly to avoid thermal shock and the potential for target fracture.
