Surface Reaction Mechanisms in Plasma Etching Processes

Abstract

Surface reactions occurring in fluorocarbon plasmas also influence plasma properties by consuming or generating plasma fluxes. Of particular interest is the effect that surfaces have on CF2 densities, as CF2 is a precursor for polymer formation. These processes were investigated with the integrated plasma-surface model. Simulations demonstrated that CF 2 self-sticking is a loss at the surface, while ion sputtering and large ion dissociation can generate CF2 at surfaces. The net effect of the surface depends on the relative magnitudes of the loss and generation reactions.