Noble-Gas-Modified Reactive Ion Energy Distributions in Inductively Coupled Plasma Enhanced and Ion Beam Enhanced Reactive Sputtering of Thin Film Compounds
Abstract
Through the use of a plasma mass spectrometer coupled with an energy filter, the authors have observed that reactive ion energy distributions can be modified by mixing a noble gas to the reactive gas prior to excitation by the reactive plasma source for both ion beam- and inductively coupled plasma- enhanced reactive sputtering deposition processes These modified IED's are useful in that they have a remarkable effect on the micro-structure and properties of both oxide and nitride thin films. Preliminary measurements of electron energy distributions suggest that the addition of helium for example, increases the most probable electron energy in the reactive plasma. Metastable noble gas species are also presumed to make a contribution to the modified IED's.
- Publication:
-
APS Annual Gaseous Electronics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001APS..GECLR1004M