In situ mass spectroscopy and ion energy analysis of radio frequency glow discharges

Mass spectroscopy has been used to diagnose plasma processing atmospheres by measuring the flux of neutral and ion species and the energy distribution of ions impinging upon a substrate immersed in a glow discharge. The use of a diagnostic tool to investigate the chemical (reactive species) and physical (ions) aspects of plasma processing is necessary to establish controllability and reproducibility in materials processing. The research studies have included measurement of ion current and energy distribution in Ar glow discharges, radical and intermediate specie formation in N{dollar}sb2{dollar}O and NH{dollar}sb3{dollar}/H{dollar}sb2{dollar} discharges, ion-enhanced etching of tungsten thin films in NH{dollar}sb3{dollar}/O{dollar}sb2{dollar}, and radical and ion species in the deposition of tungsten by rf glow discharge or low pressure reactions of WF{dollar}sb6{dollar} and H{dollar}sb2{dollar}.; The ion current and ion energy distribution of Ar{dollar}sp+{dollar} and ArH{dollar}sp+{dollar} impinging on a grounded surface immersed in capacitively coupled Ar plasmas have been measured as a function of pressure, applied rf voltage amplitude (V{dollar}sb{lcub}rm rf{rcub}{dollar}), inter-electrode gap, and sampling orifice size. A maximum in ion current occurs at high V{dollar}sb{lcub}rm rf{rcub}{dollar} and intermediate electrode spacing. The ion energy distributions are influenced by rf modulation produced by the time varying sheath properties, ion-neutral collisions and non-linear sheath behavior at high pressure and high ion current conditions.; Mass spectroscopy of neutral species in N{dollar}sb2{dollar}O and NH{dollar}sb3{dollar}/H2 atmospheres show the feasibility of monitoring radical and intermediated plasma generated species.; Ions and neutrals sampled from a NF{dollar}sb3{dollar}/O{dollar}sb2{dollar} etching plasma were observed by a quadrupole mass spectrometer and cylindrical mirror ion energy analyzer to investigate ion bombardment-enhanced etching of tungsten.; Tungsten thin films deposited by low-pressure and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were characterized to determine the effect of gas- and plasma-surface interactions on nucleation and growth. Elimination of H{dollar}sb2{dollar}O contamination is critical in observing morphology changes caused by these interactions and not by oxygen incorporation.; Ions and neutral species were sampled from a H{dollar}sb2{dollar}/WF{dollar}sb6{dollar} tungsten deposition atmosphere to investigate the influence of neutral and ion flux on the resistivity and morphology of {dollar}alpha{dollar}- and {dollar}beta{dollar}-tungsten films. In all depositions, WF, WF{dollar}sb2{dollar}, and WF{dollar}sb6{dollar} were the principle tungsten-fluorine species while WF{dollar}sb5sp+{dollar} was the primary plasma-generated ion. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)...