AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Plasma Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS3-TuP

Paper PS3-TuP4
Pulsed PECVD Processes with E-beam Generated Plasmas

Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 6:00 pm, Room 3rd Floor Lobby

Session: Advanced Plasma Deposition Poster Session
Presenter: D. Leonhardt, US Naval Research Laboratory
Authors: D. Leonhardt, US Naval Research Laboratory
S.G. Walton, US Naval Research Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processes open up wide parameter spaces (most notably lower substrate temperatures) than CVD techniques. This is because the plasma electrons can directly impart energy into the gas species on the order of 1 eV (> 10,000 K) instead of relying on strictly thermal surface processes. Modulated plasmas in turn can provide even greater control over the deposition conditions by tailoring a gas/surface phase synergy to achieve optimum growth conditions for the desired films. This work will discuss recent progress on PECVD of Si-based films using pulsed electron beam generated plasmas with organic precursors such as TEOS and HMDSO. In these systems, pulse lengths were varied from below 1 millisecond to multiple milliseconds to determine the effects of less total power being imparted to the plasma and gas constituents. Shorter pulse lengths, comparable to gas and surface phase reaction times were expected to have a significant effect on the process deposition rate and the final film quality. These film characteristics will be discussed and compared with complementary time-resolved ion flux measurements (in situ mass spectrometry) and global plasma parameters (from electrostatic probes). Films compositions were varied from SiO@sub x@, SiN@sub x@, and polymeric Si-O complexes, tailored for display applications on flexible substrates (low temperature, low damage) and large area capacitor fabrication. @FootnoteText@ This work supported by the Office of Naval Research.