A study of methods for moving particles in RF processing plasmas
- 1 April 1994
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science
- Vol. 22 (2) , 128-135
- https://doi.org/10.1109/27.279015
Abstract
Methods for moving charged particles in RF processing plasmas are investigated. These methods include varying RF power, varying chamber pressure, attraction and repulsion by an electrostatic probe, and movement with magnetic fields. Varying RF power changes the depth of the potential wells where particles are trapped. The RF power affects shape and location of the traps and the bulk plasma potential. Increasing the chamber pressure moves the sheath edge closer to the wafer being processed. Since particle traps are found at the plasma sheath edge increasing the chamber pressure will move the particle traps (and any trapped particles) closer to the wafer being processed. The Langmuir probe can repel particles when under negative bias and attract them when positively biased. This probe can also distort the sheath edge when the tip resides within the sheath. Applying a magnetic field can change the characteristics of the particle traps and produce a force on the charged dust particles.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Evaluation of metallization systems with test structures and yield modelingPublished by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) ,2002
- Electrode material and geometry effects on the formation and electrical properties of particle traps in a plasma etch systemJournal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, 1993
- Physical properties of contamination particle traps in a process plasmaJournal of Applied Physics, 1993
- Particle Contamination of Silicon in SF 6 and CF 4 / O 2 RF Etch PlasmasJournal of the Electrochemical Society, 1992
- The dependence of contamination particle traps on wafer material and topographyJournal of Applied Physics, 1992
- Transport of dust particles in glow-discharge plasmasPhysical Review Letters, 1992
- Particle contamination on a silicon substrate in a SF6/Ar plasmaJournal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures, 1992
- The electrostatic nature of contaminative particles in a semiconductor processing plasmaJournal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, 1991
- A tuned Langmuir probe for measurements in rf glow dischargesJournal of Applied Physics, 1990
- In-situ Particulate Contamination Studies In Process PlasmasPublished by SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng ,1990