Model-Based Analysis of Plasma Parameters and Active Species Kinetics in Cl(2)/X (X = Ar, He, N(2)) Inductively Coupled Plasmas

Abstract

This work reports the influence of gas mixing ratio on the Cl(2)/Ar, Cl(2)/He, and Cl(2)/N(2) plasma parameters, steady-state densities, and fluxes of active species in the planar inductively coupled plasma reactor. The investigation combined plasma diagnostics by Langmuir probes and quadrupole mass spectroscopy with a global (zero-dimensional) plasma model. It was shown that the dilution of Cl(2) by any additive gas results in a noticeable change in both the electron temperature and density, as well as provides the acceleration in the electron impact dissociation kinetics of Cl(2) molecules. No qualitative differences for the given three systems in regard to relative changes in active species densities and model-predicted etch rate behaviors were obtained. (C) 2008 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.2993160] All rights reserved.