AVS 47th International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Thursday Sessions
       Session PS1+TF+SE-ThM

Paper PS1+TF+SE-ThM10
Deposition Kinetics in Methane rf Glow Discharges: A Combined Experimental and Modeling Study

Thursday, October 5, 2000, 11:20 am, Room 310

Session: Fundamentals of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition
Presenter: J.R. Doyle, Macalester College
Authors: J.R. Doyle, Macalester College
D. Cole, Macalester College
B. Magocsi, Macalester College
Correspondent: Click to Email
Methane rf glow discharges are commonly used for diamond-like carbon deposition, but in spite of many experimental and theoretical studies, the details of the plasma chemistry, and in particular the identity of the dominant film precursors, are still debated. In this work we present a comprehensive model of the film deposition using a "semi-empirical" approach. Optical emission measurements and measured electrical properties of the discharge are combined with a Particle-in-Cell/Monte Carlo (PICMC) simulation, which is then used to calculate ion and neutral radical production rates and profiles. Diffusion-reaction-drift (fluid) equations are then solved for stable gas production and ion and radical transport to the electrode surfaces. The model is corroborated by mass spectrometry measurements of the stable gas partial pressures. Film growth rates are calculated from the model and are compared to measured growth rates as a function of pressure and power on both the grounded and powered electrode. The results suggest that C@sub n@H@sub m@ radicals and ions with n > 1 are the dominant sources of mass deposition under conditions used to produce diamond-like films.