Abstract: Laser-induced plasmas are transient systems rapidly aging in few nanoseconds of evolution. Time-of-flight spectrometry allowed studying initial plasma characteristics based on frozen translational degrees of freedom, hence overcoming intrinsic limitations of optical spectroscopy. Experimental ion velocity distributions were reconstructed as developed during the longitudinal plasma expansion. The obtained onset plasma temperatures are in the range of similar to 18-45 eV depending on the ablated metals. Also the ion angular spreads were found to be a function of ablated metal, e.g., the narrowest for Fe, the broadest for Al, due to different collisional coupling in the plasma population. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

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.

Abstract: The behavior of nanoparticles in a low-pressure silane discharge is studied with the use of a self-consistent one-dimensional fluid model. Nanoparticles of a given (prescribed) radius are formed in the discharge by the incorporation of a dust growth mechanism, i.e., by including a step in which large anions (typically Si12H−25), produced in successive chemical reactions of anions with silane molecules, are transformed into particles. Typically a few thousand anions are used for one nanoparticle. The resulting particle density and the charge on the particles are calculated with an iterative method. While the spatial distribution and the charge of the particles are influenced by the plasma, the presence of the nanoparticles will in turn influence the plasma properties. Several simulations with different particle radii are performed. The resulting density profile of the dust will greatly depend on the particle size, as it reacts to the shift of the balance of the different forces acting on the particles.

Abstract: We present here some of our modeling efforts for PECVD growth of nanostructured carbon materials with focus on amorphous hydrogenated carbon. Experimental data from an expanding thermal plasma setup were used as input for the simulations. Attention was focused both on the film growth mechanism, as well as on the hydrocarbon reaction mechanisms during growth of the films. It is found that the reaction mechanisms and sticking coefficients are dependent on the specific surface sites, and the structural properties of the growth radicals. The film growth results are in correspondence with the experiment. Furthermore, it is found that thin a-C:H films can be densified using an additional H-flux towards the substrate.

Abstract: In this paper, simulations are performed to gain a better insight into the properties of a Cl2/Ar plasma, with and without O2, during plasma etching of Si. Both plasma and surface properties are calculated in a self-consistent manner. Special attention is paid to the behavior of etch products coming from the wafer or the walls, and how the chamber walls can affect the plasma and the resulting etch process. Two modeling cases are considered. In the first case, the reactor walls are defined as clean (Al2O3), whereas in the second case a SiO2 coating is introduced on the reactor walls before the etching process, so that oxygen will be sputtered from the walls and introduced into the plasma. For this reason, a detailed reaction set is presented for a Cl2/O2/Ar plasma containing etched species, as well as an extensive reaction set for surface processes, including physical and chemical sputtering, chemical etching and deposition processes. Density and flux profiles of various species are presented for a better understanding of the bulk plasma during the etching process. Detailed information is also given on the composition of the surfaces at various locations of the reactor, on the etch products in the plasma and on the surface loss probabilities of the plasma species at the walls, with different compositions. It is found that in the clean chamber, walls are mostly chlorinated (Al2Cl3), with a thin layer of etch products residing on the wall. In the coated chamber, an oxy-chloride layer is grown on the walls for a few nanometers during the etching process. The Cl atom wall loss probability is found to decrease significantly in the coated chamber, hence increasing the etch rate. SiCl2, SiCl4 and SiCl3 are found to be the main etch products in the plasma, with the fraction of SiCl2 being always slightly higher. The simulation results compare well with experimental data available from the literature.