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Author Xiaoyan, S.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N.; He, J.-X. doi  openurl
  Title Fluid simulation of the superimposed dual-frequency source effect in inductively coupled discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2021 Publication Physics Of Plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 28 Issue 11 Pages 113504-113510  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Superimposition of dual frequencies (DFs) is one of the methods used for controlling plasma distribution in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source. The effects of a superimposed DF on the argon plasma characteristics have been investigated using a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. When both currents are fixed at 6A, the plasma density drops with decrease in one of the source frequencies due to less efficient heating and the plasma uniformity improves significantly. Moreover, for ICP operated with superimposed DFs (i.e., 4.52MHz/13.56MHz and 2.26MHz/13.56MHz), the current source exhibits the same period as the low frequency (LF) component, and the plasma density is higher than that obtained at a single frequency (i.e., 4.52 and 2.26MHz) with the same total current of 12A. However, at superimposed current frequencies of 6.78MHz/13.56MHz, the plasma density is lower than that obtained at a single frequency of 6.78MHz due to the weaker negative azimuthal electric field between two positive maxima during one period of 6.78MHz. When the superimposed DF ICP operates at 2.26 and 13.56MHz, the rapid oscillations of the induced electric field become weaker during one period of 2.26MHz as the current ratio of 2.26MHz/13.56MHz rises from 24A/7 A to 30A/1 A, and the plasma density drops with the current ratio due to weakened electron heating. The uniformity of plasma increases due to sufficient diffusion under the low-density condition.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000760326100004 Publication Date 2021-11-19  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:187245 Serial 7974  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Liang, Y.-S.; Xue, C.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N. doi  openurl
  Title Investigation of active species in low-pressure capacitively coupled N-2/Ar plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2021 Publication Physics Of Plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 013510  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this paper, a self-consistent fluid model is developed focusing on the plasma parameters in capacitively coupled 20% N 2-80% Ar discharges. Measurements of ion density are performed with the help of a floating double probe, and the emission intensities from Ar(4p) and N 2 ( B ) transitions are detected by an optical emission spectroscopy to estimate their relative densities. The consistency between the numerical and experimental results confirms the reliability of the simulation. Then the plasma characteristics, specifically the reaction mechanisms of active species, are analyzed under various voltages. The increasing voltage leads to a monotonous increase in species density, whereas a less homogeneous radial distribution is observed at a higher voltage. Due to the high concentration of Ar gas, Ar + becomes the main ion, followed by the N 2 +</mml:msubsup> ion. Besides the electron impact ionization of neutrals, the charge transfer processes of Ar +/ N 2 and N 2 +</mml:msubsup>/Ar are found to have an impact on the ionic species. The results indicate that adopting the lower charge transfer reaction rate coefficients weakens the Ar + ion density and yields a higher N 2 +</mml:msubsup> ion density. However, the effect on the species spatial distributions and other species densities is limited. As for the excited-state species, the electron impact excitation of background gases remains overwhelming in the formation of Ar(4p), N 2 ( B ), and N 2 ( a ' ), whereas the <mml:msub> N 2 ( A ) molecules are mainly formed by the decay of <mml:msub> N 2 ( B ). In addition, the dissociation of <mml:msub> N 2 collided by excited-state Ar atoms dominates the N generation, which are mostly depleted to produce N + ions.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000629931300002 Publication Date 2021-01-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:177669 Serial 6767  
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Author Liang, Y.-S.; Liu, Y.-X.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Investigation of voltage effect on reaction mechanisms in capacitively coupled N-2 discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2020 Publication Journal Of Applied Physics Abbreviated Journal J Appl Phys  
  Volume 127 Issue 13 Pages 133301  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A systematic investigation of voltage effect on the plasma parameters, especially the species densities and chemical reaction mechanisms, in the capacitive N-2 discharges is performed by employing a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. The validity of the numerical model is first demonstrated by the qualitative agreement of the calculated and experimental results. Then, the densities, production mechanisms, and loss mechanisms of species from simulation are examined at various voltages. It is found that all the species densities increase monotonically with the voltage, whereas their spatial profiles at lower voltages are quite different from those at higher voltages. The electrons and Nthorn 2 ions are mainly generated by the electron impact ionization of N-2 gas, while the Nthorn ions, whose density is one or two orders of magnitude lower, are mostly formed by the ionization of N atoms. The electron impact dissociation of N-2 gas dominates the generation of N atoms, which are mostly destroyed for the Nthorn ion production. As for the excited N-2 levels, the level conversion processes play a very important role in their production and depletion mechanisms, except for the electron impact excitation of the ground state N-2 molecules. Published under license by AIP Publishing.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000524256700001 Publication Date 2020-04-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979; 1089-7550 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.2 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC) (Grant Nos. 11805089 and 11875101), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, China (Grant No. 2019-BS-127), the Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Ministry of Education, China (Grant No. KF1804), and the China Scholarship Council. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.2; 2020 IF: 2.068  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:168558 Serial 6555  
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Author Sun, J.-Y.; Wen, D.-Q.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Liu, Y.-X.; Wang, Y.-N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title The effects of electron surface interactions in geometrically symmetric capacitive RF plasmas in the presence of different electrode surface materials Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2019 Publication Physics of plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 26 Issue 6 Pages 063505  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) simulations are performed to investigate the asymmetric secondary electron emission (SEE) effects when electrons strike two different material electrodes in low pressure capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs). To describe the electron-surface interactions, a realistic model, considering the primary electron impact energy and angle, as well as the corresponding surface property-dependent secondary electron yields, is employed in PIC/MCC simulations. In this model, three kinds of electrons emitted from the surface are considered: (i) elastically reflected electrons, (ii) inelastically backscattered electrons, and (iii) electron induced secondary electrons (SEs, i.e., delta-electrons). Here, we examined the effects of electron-surface interactions on the ionization dynamics and plasma characteristics of an argon discharge. The discharge is driven by a voltage source of 13.56MHz with amplitudes in the range of 200-2000V. The grounded electrode material is copper (Cu) for all cases, while the powered electrode material is either Cu or silicon dioxide (SiO2). The simulations reveal that the electron impact-induced SEE is an essential process at low pressures, especially at high voltages. Different electrode materials result in an asymmetric response of SEE. Depending on the instantaneous local sheath potential and the phase of the SEE, these SEs either are reflected by the opposite sheath or strike the electrode surface, where they can induce delta-electrons upon their residual energies. It is shown that highly energetic delta-electrons contribute significantly to the ionization rate and a self-bias forms when the powered electrode material is assumed to be made of SiO2. Complex dynamics is observed due to the multiple electron-surface interaction processes and asymmetric yields of SEs in CCPs.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000474440600043 Publication Date 2019-06-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:161353 Serial 6327  
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Author Wang, L.; Wen, D.-Q.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Song, Y.-H.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Disruption of self-organized striated structure induced by secondary electron emission in capacitive oxygen discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2019 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume 28 Issue 5 Pages 055007  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Self-organized striated structure has been observed experimentally and numerically in CF4 plasmas in radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas recently (Liu et al 2016 Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 255002). In this work, the striated structure is investigated in a capacitively coupled oxygen discharge with the introduction of the effect from the secondary electron emission, based on a particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision model. As we know, the transport of positive and negative ions plays a key role in the formation of striations in electronegative gases, for which, the electronegativity needs to be large enough. As the secondary electron emission increases, electrons in the sheaths gradually contribute more ionization to the discharge. Meanwhile, the increase of the electron density, especially in the plasma bulk, leads to an increased electrical conductivity and a reduced bulk electric field, which would shield the ions' mobility. These changes result in enlarged striation gaps. And then, with more emitted electrons, obvious disruption of the striations is observed accompanied with a transition of electron heating mode. Due to the weakened field, the impact ionization in the plasma bulk is attenuated, compared with the enhanced ionization caused by secondary electrons. This would lead to the electron heating mode transition from striated (STR) mode to gamma-mode. Besides, our investigation further reveals that gamma-mode is more likely to dominate the discharge under high gas pressures or driving voltages.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000467827800001 Publication Date 2019-04-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 2 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 13.05.2020  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.302  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:160365 Serial 5270  
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Author Jia, W.-Z.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Wang, X.-F.; Song, Y.-H.; Zhang, Y.-Y.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Effect of dust particle size on the plasma characteristics in a radio frequency capacitively coupled silane plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2019 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 52 Issue 1 Pages 015206  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Compared with dust-free plasmas, the existence of dust particles in plasmas may greatly influence the plasma properties. such as the plasma density, electron temperature, sheath properties, electron energy distribution function (EEDF) as well as the heating mechanism. In this work, a 1D hybrid fluid/MC model has been developed to investigate the interaction between dust and plasma in a low-pressure silane discharge sustained in a radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma, in which we assume spherical dust particles with a given radius are generated by taking the sum of the production rate of Si2H4- and Si2H5- as the nucleation rate. From our simulation, the plasma may experience definite perturbation by dust particles with a certain radius (more than 50nm) with an increase in electron temperature first, which further induces a rapid rise in the positive and negative ion densities. Then, the densities begin to decline due to the gradual lack of sufficient seed electrons. In addition, as the dust radius increases, the high energy tails of the EEDFs will be enhanced for discharge maintenance, accompanied by a decline in the population of low-energy electrons in comparison with those of pristine plasma. Furthermore, an obvious bulk heating is observed apart from the a-mode and local field reversal heating. This may contribute to the enhanced bulk electric field (also called the drift field) as a result of electron depletion via the dust. In addition, large-sized dust particles that accumulate near the sheaths tend to form two stable density peaks with their positions largely influenced by the time-averaged sheath thickness. A detailed study of the effects of the external parameters, including pressure, voltage and frequency, on the spatial distribution of dust particles is also conducted.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000448423800002 Publication Date 2018-10-02  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:155361 Serial 5271  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Gao, F.; Li, X.-C.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Fluid simulation of the bias effect in inductive/capacitive discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2015 Publication Journal of vacuum science and technology: A: vacuum surfaces and films Abbreviated Journal J Vac Sci Technol A  
  Volume 33 Issue 33 Pages 061303  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Computer simulations are performed for an argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with a capacitive radio-frequency bias power, to investigate the bias effect on the discharge mode transition and on the plasma characteristics at various ICP currents, bias voltages, and bias frequencies. When the bias frequency is fixed at 13.56 MHz and the ICP current is low, e.g., 6A, the spatiotemporal averaged plasma density increases monotonically with bias voltage, and the bias effect is already prominent at a bias voltage of 90 V. The maximum of the ionization rate moves toward the bottom electrode, which indicates clearly the discharge mode transition in inductive/capacitive discharges. At higher ICP currents, i.e., 11 and 13 A, the plasma density decreases first and then increases with bias voltage, due to the competing mechanisms between the ion acceleration power dissipation and the capacitive power deposition. At 11 A, the bias effect is still important, but it is noticeable only at higher bias voltages. At 13 A, the ionization rate is characterized by a maximum at the reactor center near the dielectric window at all selected bias voltages, which indicates that the ICP power, instead of the bias power, plays a dominant role under this condition, and no mode transition is observed. Indeed, the ratio of the bias power to the total power is lower than 0.4 over a wide range of bias voltages, i.e., 0300V. Besides the effect of ICP current, also the effect of various bias frequencies is investigated. It is found that the modulation of the bias power to the spatiotemporal distributions of the ionization rate at 2MHz is strikingly different from the behavior observed at higher bias frequencies. Furthermore, the minimum of the plasma density appears at different bias voltages, i.e., 120V at 2MHz and 90V at 27.12 MHz.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000365503800020 Publication Date 2015-08-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0734-2101;1520-8559; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.374 Times cited 9 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.374; 2015 IF: 2.322  
  Call Number c:irua:126824 Serial 1229  
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Author Zhao, S.-X.; Gao, F.; Wang, Y.-P.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Effects of feedstock availability on the negative ion behavior in a C4F8 inductively coupled plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2015 Publication Journal of applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Appl Phys  
  Volume 118 Issue 118 Pages 033301  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this paper, the negative ion behavior in a C4F8 inductively coupled plasma (ICP) is investigated using a hybrid model. The model predicts a non-monotonic variation of the total negative ion density with power at low pressure (1030 mTorr), and this trend agrees well with experiments that were carried out in many fluorocarbon (fc) ICP sources, like C2F6, CHF3, and C4F8. This behavior is explained by the availability of feedstock C4F8 gas as a source of the negative ions, as well as by the presence of low energy electrons due to vibrational excitation at low power. The maximum of the negative ion density shifts to low power values upon decreasing pressure, because of the more pronounced depletion of C4F8 molecules, and at high pressure (∼50 mTorr), the anion density continuously increases with power, which is similar to fc CCP sources. Furthermore, the negative ion composition is identified in this paper. Our work demonstrates that for a clear understanding of the negative ion behavior in radio frequency C4F8 plasma sources, one needs to take into account many factors, like the attachment characteristics, the anion composition, the spatial profiles, and the reactor configuration. Finally, a detailed comparison of our simulation results with experiments is conducted.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher American Institute of Physics Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000358429200004 Publication Date 2015-07-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979;1089-7550; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.068 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.068; 2015 IF: 2.183  
  Call Number c:irua:126735 Serial 861  
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Author Zhao, S.-X.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Gao, F.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Bulk plasma fragmentation in a C4F8 inductively coupled plasma : a hybrid modelling study Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2015 Publication Journal of applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Appl Phys  
  Volume 117 Issue 117 Pages 243303  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A hybrid model is used to investigate the fragmentation of C4F8 inductive discharges. Indeed, the resulting reactive species are crucial for the optimization of the Si-based etching process, since they determine the mechanisms of fluorination, polymerization, and sputtering. In this paper, we present the dissociation degree, the density ratio of F vs. CxFy (i.e., fluorocarbon (fc) neutrals), the neutral vs. positive ion density ratio, details on the neutral and ion components, and fractions of various fc neutrals (or ions) in the total fc neutral (or ion) density in a C4F8 inductively coupled plasma source, as well as the effect of pressure and power on these results. To analyze the fragmentation behavior, the electron density and temperature and electron energy probability function (EEPF) are investigated. Moreover, the main electron-impact generation sources for all considered neutrals and ions are determined from the complicated C4F8 reaction set used in the model. The C4F8 plasma fragmentation is explained, taking into account many factors, such as the EEPF characteristics, the dominance of primary and secondary processes, and the thresholds of dissociation and ionization. The simulation results are compared with experiments from literature, and reasonable agreement is obtained. Some discrepancies are observed, which can probably be attributed to the simplified polymer surface kinetics assumed in the model.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher American Institute of Physics Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000357613900009 Publication Date 2015-06-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979;1089-7550; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.068 Times cited 11 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.068; 2015 IF: 2.183  
  Call Number c:irua:126477 Serial 261  
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Author Liu, Y.-X.; Zhang, Y.-R.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Electromagnetic effects in high-frequency large-area capacitive discharges : a review Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2015 Publication Journal of vacuum science and technology: A: vacuum surfaces and films Abbreviated Journal J Vac Sci Technol A  
  Volume 33 Issue 33 Pages 020801  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In traditional capacitively coupled plasmas, the discharge can be described by an electrostatic model, in which the Poisson equation is employed to determine the electrostatic electric field. However, current plasma reactors are much larger and driven at a much higher frequency. If the excitation wavelength k in the plasma becomes comparable to the electrode radius, and the plasma skin depth d becomes comparable to the electrode spacing, the electromagnetic (EM) effects will become significant and compromise the plasma uniformity. In this regime, capacitive discharges have to be described by an EM model, i.e., the full set of Maxwells equations should be solved to address the EM effects. This paper gives an overview of the theory, simulation and experiments that have recently been carried out to understand these effects, which cause major uniformity problems in plasma processing for microelectronics and flat panel display industries. Furthermore, some methods for improving the plasma uniformity are also described and compared.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher A v s amer inst physics Place of Publication Melville Editor  
  Language Wos 000355739500007 Publication Date 2015-02-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0734-2101;1520-8559; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.374 Times cited 10 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.374; 2015 IF: 2.322  
  Call Number c:irua:123541 Serial 903  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Tinck, S.; De Schepper, P.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Modeling and experimental investigation of the plasma uniformity in CF4/O2 capacitively coupled plasmas, operating in single frequency and dual frequency regime Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2015 Publication Journal of vacuum science and technology: A: vacuum surfaces and films Abbreviated Journal J Vac Sci Technol A  
  Volume 33 Issue 33 Pages 021310  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A two-dimensional hybrid Monte Carlofluid model, incorporating a full-wave solution of Maxwell's equations, is employed to describe the behavior of high frequency (HF) and very high frequency capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs), operating both at single frequency (SF) and dual frequency (DF) in a CF4/O2 gas mixture. First, the authors investigate the plasma composition, and the simulations reveal that besides CF4 and O2, also COF2, CF3, and CO2 are important neutral species, and CF+3 and F− are the most important positive and negative ions. Second, by comparing the results of the model with and without taking into account the electromagnetic effects for a SF CCP, it is clear that the electromagnetic effects are important, both at 27 and 60 MHz, because they affect the absolute values of the calculation results and also (to some extent) the spatial profiles, which accordingly affects the uniformity in plasma processing. In order to improve the plasma radial uniformity, which is important for the etch process, a low frequency (LF) source is added to the discharge. Therefore, in the major part of the paper, the plasma uniformity is investigated for both SF and DF CCPs, operating at a HF of 27 and 60 MHz and a LF of 2 MHz. For this purpose, the authors measure the etch rates as a function of position on the wafer in a wide range of LF powers, and the authors compare them with the calculated fluxes toward the wafer of the plasma species playing a role in the etch process, to explain the trends in the measured etch rate profiles. It is found that at a HF of 60 MHz, the uniformity of the etch rate is effectively improved by adding a LF power of 2 MHz and 300 W, while its absolute value increases by about 50%, thus a high etch rate with a uniform distribution is observed under this condition.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000355739500026 Publication Date 2015-01-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0734-2101;1520-8559; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.374 Times cited 3 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.374; 2015 IF: 2.322  
  Call Number c:irua:122650 Serial 2107  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wen, D.-Q.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Jiang, W.; Song, U.-H.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Phase modulation in pulsed dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2014 Publication Journal of applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Appl Phys  
  Volume 115 Issue 23 Pages 233303  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations, coupled with an external circuit, are used to investigate the behavior of pulsed dual-frequency (DF) capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs). It is found that the phase shift θ between the high (or low) frequency source and the pulse modulation has a great influence on the ion density and the ionization rate. By pulsing the high frequency source, the time-averaged ion density shows a maximum when θ = 90∘. The time-averaged ion energy distribution functions (IEDFs) at the driven electrode, however, keep almost unchanged, illustrating the potential of pulsed DF-CCP for independent control of ion density (and flux) and ion energy. A detailed investigation of the temporal evolution of the plasma characteristics indicates that several high frequency harmonics can be excited at the initial stage of a pulse period by tuning the phase shift θ, and this gives rise to strong sheath oscillations, and therefore high ionization rates. For comparison, the pulsing of the low frequency source is also studied. In this case, the ion density changes slightly as a function of time, and the time-averaged ion density shows the same trend as in the HF modulation for different phase shifts θ. Moreover, the time-averaged IEDFs at the driven electrode can be modulated, showing the potential to reduce the maximum ion bombardment energy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher American Institute of Physics Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000338106000008 Publication Date 2014-06-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979;1089-7550; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.068 Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.068; 2014 IF: 2.183  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:117415 Serial 2585  
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Author Zhang, Q.-Z.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Heating mode transition in a hybrid direct current/dual-frequency capacitively coupled CF4 discharge Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2014 Publication Journal of applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Appl Phys  
  Volume 115 Issue 22 Pages 223302-223306  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Computer simulations based on the particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision method are performed to study the plasma characteristics and especially the transition in electron heating mechanisms in a hybrid direct current (dc)/dual-frequency (DF) capacitively coupled CF 4 discharge. When applying a superposed dc voltage, the plasma density first increases, then decreases, and finally increases again, which is in good agreement with experiments. This trend can be explained by the transition between the four main heating modes, i.e., DF coupling, dc and DF coupling, dc source dominant heating, and secondary electron dominant heating.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher American Institute of Physics Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000337891800006 Publication Date 2014-06-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0021-8979;1089-7550; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.068 Times cited 9 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.068; 2014 IF: 2.183  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:117347 Serial 1414  
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Author Zhang, Q.-Z.; Liu, Y.-X.; Jiang, W.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Heating mechanism in direct current superposed single-frequency and dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2013 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 025014-25018  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this work particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations are performed to study the heating mechanism and plasma characteristics in direct current (dc) superposed radio-frequency (RF) capacitively coupled plasmas, operated both in single-frequency (SF) and dual-frequency (DF) regimes. An RF (60/2 MHz) source is applied on the bottom electrode to sustain the discharge, and a dc source is fixed on the top electrode. The heating mechanism appears to be very different in dc superposed SF and DF discharges. When only a single source of 60 MHz is applied, the plasma bulk region is reduced by the dc source, thus the ionization rate and hence the electron density decrease with rising dc voltage. However, when a DF source of 60 and 2 MHz is applied, the electron density can increase upon addition of a dc voltage, depending on the gap length and applied dc voltage. This is explained from the spatiotemporal ionization rates in the DF discharge. In fact, a completely different behavior is observed for the ionization rate in the two half-periods of the LF source. In the first LF half-period, the situation resembles the dc superposed SF discharge, and the reduced plasma bulk region due to the negative dc bias results in a very small effective discharge area and a low ionization rate. On the other hand, in the second half-period, the negative dc bias is to some extent counteracted by the LF voltage, and the sheath close to the dc electrode becomes particularly thin. Consequently, the amplitude of the high-frequency sheath oscillations at the top electrode is largely enhanced, while the LF sheath at the bottom electrode is in its expanding phase and can thus well confine the high-energy electrons. Therefore, the ionization rate increases considerably in this second LF half-period. Furthermore, in addition to the comparison between SF and DF discharges and the effect of gap length and dc voltage, the effect of secondary electrons is examined.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Institute of Physics Place of Publication Bristol Editor  
  Language Wos 000317275400016 Publication Date 2013-03-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252;1361-6595; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 9 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.302; 2013 IF: 3.056  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:106877 Serial 1413  
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Author Liu, Y.-X.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Liu, L.; Song, Y.-H.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Electron bounce resonance heating in dual-frequency capacitively coupled oxygen discharges Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2013 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 025012-11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas operated in oxygen is studied by different experimental methods and a particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) simulation, and compared with the electropositive argon discharge. In comparison with argon, the experimental results show that in an oxygen discharge the resonance peaks in positive-ion density and light intensity tend to occur at larger electrode gaps. Moreover, at electrode gaps L > 2.5 cm, the positive-ion (and electron) density and the light emission drop monotonically in the oxygen discharge upon increasing L, whereas they rise (after an initial drop) in the argon case. At resonance gap the electronegativity reaches its maximum due to the BRH. All these experimental observations are explained by PIC/MCC simulations, which show that in the oxygen discharge the bulk electric field becomes quite strong and is out of phase with the sheath field. Therefore, it retards the resonance electrons when traversing the bulk, resulting in a suppressed BRH. Both experiment and simulation results show that this effect becomes more pronounced at lower high-frequency power, when the discharge mode changes from electropositive to electronegative. In a pure oxygen discharge, the BRH is suppressed with increasing pressure and almost diminishes at 12 Pa. Finally, the driving frequency significantly affects the BRH, because it determines the phase relation between bulk electric field and sheath electric field.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Institute of Physics Place of Publication Bristol Editor  
  Language Wos 000317275400014 Publication Date 2013-03-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252;1361-6595; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 20 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.302; 2013 IF: 3.056  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:106534 Serial 911  
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Author Zhao, S.-X.; Gao, F.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Gas ratio effects on the Si etch rate and profile uniformity in an inductively coupled Ar/CF4 plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2013 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume 22 Issue 1 Pages 015017-15018  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this work, a hybrid model is used to investigate the effect of different gas ratios on the Si etching and polymer film deposition characteristics in an Ar/CF4 inductively coupled plasma. The influence of the surface processes on the bulk plasma properties is studied, and also the spatial characteristics of important gas phase and etched species. The densities of F and CF2 decrease when the surface module is included in the simulations, due to the species consumption caused by etching and polymer deposition. The influence of the surface processes on the bulk plasma depends on the Ar/CF4 gas ratio. The deposited polymer becomes thicker at high CF4 content because of more abundant CFx radicals. As a result of the competition between the polymer thickness and the F flux, the etch rate first increases and then decreases upon increasing the CF4 content. The electron properties, more specifically the electron density profile, affect the Si etch characteristics substantially by determining the radical density and flux profiles. In fact, the radial profile of the etch rate is more uniform at low CF4 content since the electron density has a smooth distribution. At high CF4 content, the etch rate is less uniform with a minimum halfway along the wafer radius, because the electron density distribution is more localized. Therefore, our calculations predict that it is better to work at relatively high Ar/CF4 gas ratios, in order to obtain high etch rate and good profile uniformity for etch applications. This, in fact, corresponds to the typical experimental etch conditions in Ar/CF4 gas mixtures as found in the literature, where Ar is typically present at a much higher concentration than CF4.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Institute of Physics Place of Publication Bristol Editor  
  Language Wos 000314966300022 Publication Date 2012-12-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252;1361-6595; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 11 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.302; 2013 IF: 3.056  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:102583 Serial 1320  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Fluid simulation of the phase-shift effect in Ar/CF4 capacitively coupled plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 45 Issue 48 Pages 485204  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model combined with the full set of Maxwell equations is employed to investigate an Ar/CF4 capacitively coupled plasma, focusing on the phase-shift effect on the plasma characteristics at various frequencies and gas mixture ratios. When the discharge is sustained by a single frequency at 13.56 MHz in an Ar/CF4 mixture with a ratio of 0.9/0.1, no obvious difference is detected between the electron densities obtained in the so-called electrostatic model (with only the static electric fields taken into account) and the electromagnetic model (which includes the electromagnetic effects). However, as the frequency increases to 60 and 100 MHz, the difference becomes distinct, due to the significant influence of the electromagnetic effects. The phase-shift effect on the plasma radial uniformity has also been investigated in a dual frequency discharge, i.e. when the top driven source is switched on with a phase difference phiv ranging from 0 to π, in the frequency range 13.56100 MHz. At low concentration of CF4 (10%), Ar+ ions are the major positive ions in the entire range of frequencies. When the frequency is low, i.e. 13.56 MHz, the Ar+ density exhibits an off-axis peak at phiv = 0 due to the edge effect, and a better uniformity caused by the phase-shift modulation is obtained at phiv = π. At 60 MHz, the Ar+ density varies from edge-peaked at phiv = 0 to uniform (i.e. at phiv = 0.53π), and finally at phiv = π, a broad maximum is observed at the centre due to the standing-wave effect. As the frequency increases to 100 MHz, the best radial uniformity is reached at 0.25π, and the maximum moves again towards the radial wall in the reverse-phase case (phiv = π) due to the dominant skin effect. When the frequency is fixed at 100 MHz, the phase-shift control shows a different behaviour at a high concentration of CF4. For instance, the ${\rm CF}_3  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000311148300011 Publication Date 2012-11-06  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2012 IF: 2.528  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:101754 Serial 1232  
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Author Liu, Y.-X.; Zhang, Q.-Z.; Liu, J.; Song, Y.-H.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Effect of bulk electric field reversal on the bounce resonance heating in dual-frequency capacitively coupled electronegative plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Applied physics letters Abbreviated Journal Appl Phys Lett  
  Volume 101 Issue 11 Pages 114101  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas operated in oxygen and argon has been studied by different experimental methods. In comparison with the electropositive argon discharge, the BRH in an electronegative discharge occurs at larger electrode gaps. Kinetic particle simulations reveal that in the oxygen discharge, the bulk electric field becomes quite strong and is out of phase with the sheath field. Therefore, it retards the resonant electrons when traversing the bulk, resulting in a suppressed BRH. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower high-frequency power, when the discharge mode changes from electropositive to electronegative.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher American Institute of Physics Place of Publication New York, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000309329300094 Publication Date 2012-09-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0003-6951; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.411 Times cited 26 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.411; 2012 IF: 3.794  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:100637 Serial 802  
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Author Zhang, Q.-Z.; Zhao, S.-X.; Jiang, W.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Separate control between geometrical and electrical asymmetry effects in capacitively coupled plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 45 Issue 30 Pages 305203  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Both geometrical and electrical asymmetry effects in capacitive argon discharges are investigated using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell coupled with Monte Carlo collision model. When changing the ratio of the top and bottom electrode surface areas and the phase shift between the two applied harmonics, the induced self-bias was found to develop separately. By adjusting the ratio between the high and low harmonic amplitudes, the electrical asymmetry effect at a fixed phase shift can be substantially optimized. However, the self-bias caused by the geometrical asymmetry hardly changed. Moreover, the separate control of these two asymmetry effects can also be demonstrated from their power absorption profiles. Both the axial and radial plasma density distributions can be modulated by the electrical asymmetry effect.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000306475200007 Publication Date 2012-07-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 20 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2012 IF: 2.528  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:100751 Serial 2984  
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Author Zhao, S.-X.; Gao, F.; Wang, Y.-N.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title The effect of F2 attachment by low-energy electrons on the electron behaviour in an Ar/CF4 inductively coupled plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Plasma sources science and technology Abbreviated Journal Plasma Sources Sci T  
  Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 025008-025008,13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The electron behaviour in an Ar/CF4 inductively coupled plasma is investigated by a Langmuir probe and a hybrid model. The simulated and measured results include electron density, temperature and electron energy distribution function for different values of Ar/CF4 ratio, coil power and gas pressure. The hybrid plasma equipment model simulations show qualitative agreement with experiment. The effect of F2 electron attachment on the electron behaviour is explored by comparing two sets of data based on different F atom boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that electron attachment at F2 molecules is responsible for the depletion of low-energy electrons, causing a density decrease as well as a temperature increase when CF4 is added to an Ar plasma.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Institute of Physics Place of Publication Bristol Editor  
  Language Wos 000302779400022 Publication Date 2012-03-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0963-0252;1361-6595; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.302 Times cited 23 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.302; 2012 IF: 2.515  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:96549 Serial 841  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Xu, X.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Fluid simulation of the phase-shift effect in hydrogen capacitively coupled plasmas: 1 : transient behaviour of electrodynamics and power deposition Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages 015202-015202,11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model coupled with the full set of Maxwell equations is established to investigate the phase-shift effect on the transient behaviour of electrodynamics and power deposition in a hydrogen capacitively coupled plasma. The effect has been examined at 13.56 MHz and 100 MHz, respectively, because of the different phase-shift modulation when the electromagnetic effects are dominant. The results indicate that the spatiotemporal distributions of the plasma characteristics obtained for various phase-shift cases are obviously different both in shape and especially in absolute values. Indeed, when the phase difference varies from 0 to π, there is an increase in the electron flux, thus the power deposition becomes more pronounced. At the frequency of 13.56 MHz, the axial electron flux in the bulk plasma becomes uniform along the z-axis, and the radial electron flux exhibits two peaks within one period at the reverse-phase case, whereas the oscillation is less pronounced at the in-phase case. Furthermore, in the very high frequency discharge, the radial electron flux is alternately positive and negative with four peaks during one period, and the ionization mainly occurs in the sheath region, due to the prominent power deposition there at a phase difference equal to π.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000298290000011 Publication Date 2011-12-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 57 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2012 IF: 2.528  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:92851 Serial 1230  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Xu, X.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Fluid simulation of the phase-shift effect in hydrogen capacitively coupled plasmas: 2 : radial uniformity of the plasma characteristics Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2012 Publication Journal of physics: D: applied physics Abbreviated Journal J Phys D Appl Phys  
  Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages 015203-015203,13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A two-dimensional fluid model, including the full set of Maxwell equations, has been developed and applied to investigate the effect of a phase shift between two power sources on the radial uniformity of several plasma characteristics in a hydrogen capacitively coupled plasma. This study was carried out at various frequencies in the range 13.56200 MHz. When the frequency is low, at 13.56 MHz, the plasma density is characterized by an off-axis peak when both power sources are in-phase (phgr = 0), and the best radial uniformity is obtained at phgr = π. This trend can be explained because the radial nonuniformity caused by the electrostatic edge effect can be effectively suppressed by the phase-shift effect at a phase difference equal to π. When the frequency rises to 60 MHz, the plasma density profiles shift smoothly from edge-peaked over uniform to centre-peaked as the phase difference increases, due to the pronounced standing-wave effect, and the best radial uniformity is reached at phgr = 0.3π. At a frequency of 100 MHz, a similar behaviour is observed, except that the maximum of the plasma density moves again towards the radial edge at the reverse-phase case (phgr = π), because of the dominant skin effect. When the frequency is 200 MHz, the bulk plasma density increases significantly with increasing phase-shift values, and a better uniformity is obtained at phgr = 0.4π. This is because the density in the centre increases faster than at the radial edge as the phase difference rises, due to the increasing power deposition Pz in the centre and the decreasing power density Pr at the radial edge. As the phase difference increases to π, the maximum near the radial edge becomes obvious again. This is because the skin effect has a predominant influence on the plasma density under this condition, resulting in a high density at the radial edge. Moreover, the axial ion flux increases monotonically with phase difference, and exhibits similar profiles to the plasma density. The calculation results illustrate that the radial uniformity of the various plasma characteristics is strongly dependent on the applied frequency and the phase shift between both power sources, which is important to realize, for controlling the uniformity of the plasma etch and deposition processes.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication London Editor  
  Language Wos 000298290000012 Publication Date 2011-12-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0022-3727;1361-6463; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.588 Times cited 15 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.588; 2012 IF: 2.528  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:92852 Serial 1231  
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Author Si, X.-J.; Zhao, S.-X.; Xu, X.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Fluid simulations of frequency effects on nonlinear harmonics in inductively coupled plasma Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2011 Publication Physics of plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 18 Issue 3 Pages 033504-033504,9  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A fluid model is self-consistently established to investigate the harmonic effects in an inductively coupled plasma, where the electromagnetic field is solved by the finite difference time domain technique. The spatiotemporal distribution of harmonic current density, harmonic potential, and other plasma quantities, such as radio frequency power deposition, plasma density, and electron temperature, have been investigated. Distinct differences in current density have been observed when calculated with and without Lorentz force, which indicates that the nonlinear Lorentz force plays an important role in the harmonic effects, especially at low frequencies. Moreover, the even harmonics are larger than the odd harmonics both in the current density and the potential. Finally, the dependence of various plasma quantities with and without the Lorentz force on various driving frequencies is also examined. It is shown that the deposited power density decreases and the depth of penetration increases slightly because of the Lorentz force. The electron density increases distinctly while the electron temperature remains almost the same when the Lorentz force is taken into account.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Woodbury, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000289151900073 Publication Date 2011-03-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited 7 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115; 2011 IF: 2.147  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:87876 Serial 1233  
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Author Zhang, Y.-R.; Xu, X.; Zhao, S.-X.; Bogaerts, A.; Wang, Y.-N. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Comparison of electrostatic and electromagnetic simulations for very high frequency plasmas Type A1 Journal article
  Year (down) 2010 Publication Physics of plasmas Abbreviated Journal Phys Plasmas  
  Volume 17 Issue 11 Pages 113512-113512,11  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model combined with the full set of Maxwell equations is developed to investigate an argon capacitively coupled plasma, focusing on the electromagnetic effects on the discharge characteristics at various discharge conditions. The results indicate that there exist distinct differences in plasma characteristics calculated with the so-called electrostatic model (i.e., without taking into account the electromagnetic effects) and the electromagnetic model (which includes the electromagnetic effects), especially at very high frequencies. Indeed, when the excitation source is in the high frequency regime and the electromagnetic effects are taken into account, the plasma density increases significantly and meanwhile the ionization rate evolves to a very different distribution when the electromagnetic effects are dominant. Furthermore, the dependence of the plasma characteristics on the voltage and pressure is also investigated, at constant frequency. It is observed that when the voltage is low, the difference between these two models becomes more obvious than at higher voltages. As the pressure increases, the plasma density profiles obtained from the electromagnetic model smoothly shift from edge-peaked over uniform to a broad maximum in the center. In addition, the edge effect becomes less pronounced with increasing frequency and pressure, and the skin effect rather than the standing-wave effect becomes dominant when the voltage is high.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Woodbury, N.Y. Editor  
  Language Wos 000285486500105 Publication Date 2010-11-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1070-664X; ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.115 Times cited 30 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 2.115; 2010 IF: 2.320  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:84763 Serial 429  
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