AVS 46th International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division Friday Sessions
       Session MS+PS-FrM

Paper MS+PS-FrM7
Vacuum- and Near-Ultraviolet Spectra of Plasma Etching Discharges

Friday, October 29, 1999, 10:20 am, Room 611

Session: Diagnostics and Processes in Etching
Presenter: J.R. Woodworth, Sandia National Laboratories
Authors: J.R. Woodworth, Sandia National Laboratories
T.W. Hamilton, Sandia National Laboratories
B.P. Aragon, Sandia National Laboratories
Correspondent: Click to Email
We are measuring the absolute intensities of the Vacuum- and Near- UV emission spectra ( 24 eV to 4 eV ) in metal etch and oxide etch plasmas in an inductively-driven Gaseous Electronics Conference reference cell. These spectra are of interest both because UV radiation may damage the circuits being processed and changes in the spectra may be used for process control. Spectra are being taken both in a cell with stainless steel electrodes and in a cell whose electrodes are covered with aluminum oxide, quartz and silicon to better simulate a commercial etch tool. In metal etch discharges containing mixtures of Cl2, BCl3, Ar, and N2, the vacuum ultraviolet spectrum above 8.8 eV is dominated by atomic Cl lines and Ar lines between 9 and 12 eV. Very little energy is emitted between 12 and 24 eV. The near ultraviolet spectra from 8.8 to 4 eV are dominated by B, BCl, Cl2, and etch products such as Si. Details of the experiments, effects of biasing the wafer, absolute line intensities and the effect of radiation trapping on the discharges will be discussed. This work was supported by the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC04-94-AL85000. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by the Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Government