Publication
Title
Bulk plasma fragmentation in a $C_{4}F_{8}$ inductively coupled plasma : a hybrid modelling study
Author
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.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of applied physics / American Institute of Physics. - New York, N.Y., 1937, currens
Publication
New York, N.Y. : American Institute of Physics, 2015
ISSN
0021-8979 [print]
1089-7550 [online]
Volume/pages
117:24(2015), 15 p.
Article Reference
243303
ISI
000357613900009
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
 Faculty/Department Research group [E?say:metaLocaldata.cgzprojectinf] Computer modeling and experimental validation for plasmas used for etching in the microelectronics industry. Publication type Subject Affiliation Publications with a UAntwerp address