On the role of atomic oxygen in the etching of organic polymers in a radio-frequency oxygen discharge

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Abstract
The kinetics of rise and decay of ground‐state atomic oxygen was investigated in a low‐pressure O2 radio‐frequency discharge. The ground state of O was monitored using laser‐induced‐fluorescence spectroscopy. The discharge was operated in two modes: a continuous mode and a pulsed mode. Typical discharge settings are rf power of 100 W, a pressure of 10 Pa, and a gas flow of 10 sccm. Using a pulsed mode the behavior of the O density was determined in a pure O2discharge with no reaction products, and in a discharge during etching of organic polymers. Production and loss mechanisms for O in a pure O2discharge are discussed. For an O2discharge during etching of resist it is found that under the given experimental conditions atomic oxygen does not play a significant role in the chemical etch mechanisms involved.