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Reactive sputtering in an Al-O-2/Ar system equipped with a dc power supply in constant voltage mode was simulated using a kinetics model in this article. This work showed that reactive sputtering under reactive gas flow rate control and with a constant voltage power was much different from that with a constant current power both in time-dependent and parameter-dependent behaviors. Numerical analysis predicted the continuous, N-shaped V-I characteristics curves, which agreed with the experimental curves reported by other researchers in a system which was equipped with a dc constant current power but operated under voltage control [R. McMahon et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 20 376 (1982); K. Steenbeck et al., Thin Solid Films 92, 371 (1982)] and in a system with a modulated power supply [H. Ohsaki et al., Thin Solid Films 281-282, 213 (1996)]. The continuous parameter-dependent functions indicated that there is no hysteresis effect in constant voltage reactive sputtering, which is a well-known feature of dc constant current magnetron sputtering of an Al-O-2/Ar system. According to the simulated kinetics curves using the same simulation parameters, the initial values of oxide coverage on the target surface had no influences on the final parameters at steady state in a constant voltage system, whereas different initial coverage may lead to different steady states (hysteresis behaviors) in a constant current system. This article showed that the films of any reactive gas contents, i.e., the M1-theta-(MOx)(theta) films (M=metal, MOx=compound of metal) with full range of 0 less than or equal to theta less than or equal to 1, could be produced in constant voltage reactive sputtering which is a system simpler than those under partial pressure control. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)03222-8].