AVS 46th International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Division Monday Sessions
       Session PS-MoM

Paper PS-MoM9
Study of Synchrotron Radiation-Induced Surface-Conductivity of SiO@sub 2@ for Plasma Charging Applications

Monday, October 25, 1999, 11:00 am, Room 609

Session: Plasma Damage
Presenter: C. Cismaru, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Authors: C. Cismaru, University of Wisconsin, Madison
J.L. Shohet, University of Wisconsin, Madison
J.P. McVittie, Stanford University
Correspondent: Click to Email
During plasma processing, charging of dielectrics plays the leading role within the damage mechanisms. The charging potentials are determined by specific plasma and processed device parameters. Dielectric conductivity induced by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation is one mechanism to affect dielectric charging not very well understood. In this work we investigate electrical surface conductivity in SiO@sub 2@ exposed to monochromatic synchrotron radiation for plasma charging applications. Special test structures were exposed to controlled fluxes of monochromatic synchrotron radiation in the range of 500 Å to 3000 Å (approx. 4 eV to 25 eV), the energy band of most plasma VUV radiation, at the Synchrotron Radiation Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison. During the exposure, radiation-induced currents in SiO@sub 2@ were monitored while controlling the electric field across the sample. Results show different characteristics of the photoinduced currents depending on the intensity of the electric field, thickness of the oxide, and radiation wavelength. Implications of these results on plasma charging of dielectrics will be discussed. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EEC 8721545 and the Semiconductor Research Corporation under Contract No. 98-1J-106. The Synchrotron Radiation Center is a national facility, funded by the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-9531009.