Understanding and controlling plasma-surface interactions in plasma etching and deposition is a prerequisite for achieving process goals. Towards that end, the last decade has witnessed a steady growth of research activity both in developing new plasma and in situ surface diagnostic methods and using them to address key problems in plasma processing.@footnote 1@ In this talk, we will review the recent progress in diagnostic methods with emphasis on in situ surface diagnostic techniques, their current limitations, and challenges for the next decade. Specifically, we will describe applications of techniques such as multiple internal reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,@footnote 2@ spectroscopic ellipsometry, and laser induced thermal desorption@footnote 3@ to problems in plasma etching and deposition. Simultaneous use of in situ surface diagnostics in conjunction with ex situ surface characterization methods such as X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy and plasma gas phase diagnostic techniques such as optical emission spectroscopy has led to improved understanding of plasma etching and deposition processes. Examples from plasma etching of Si and SiO@sub 2@ and plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, fluorinated SiO@sub 2@ and silicon nitride will be reviewed. Despite the recent successes, major challenges remain both in advancing the capabilities of the existing surface diagnostics and applying the knowledge acquired to date to develop simple predictive models of surface processes. While some of the sophisticated surface diagnostic methods provide valuable information on surface reactions and species during process development, their use in manufacturing for real time process control is almost impossible due to their complexity. Inventing robust sensors and diagnostic tools for use in manufacturing remains a major challenge for the next decade.
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@footnote 1@G. S. Oehrlein, Surf. Sci. 386, 222 (1997). @footnote 2@E. S. Aydil and R. A. Gottscho, Solid State Technol. 10, 181 (October 1997). @footnote 3@I. P. Herman, V. M. Donnelly, C. C. Cheng, K. V. Guinn, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 35, 2410 (1996).