AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition
    Plasma Science and Technology Tuesday Sessions
       Session PS2-TuA

Paper PS2-TuA12
Plasma Modeling of a Magnetized Inductively-Coupled Plasma Reactor

Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 6:00 pm, Room 210B

Session: Plasma Modeling
Presenter: Jason Kenney, Applied Materials, Inc.
Authors: J.A. Kenney, Applied Materials, Inc.
S. Rauf, Applied Materials, Inc.
K.S. Collins, Applied Materials, Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Modification of plasma properties with applied magnetic fields is fundamental to the study of plasma physics. In plasma reactor design, magnetic fields are regularly employed to modify plasma density profiles, e.g. as a tuning knob for plasma processing applications or as a means to prevent wall losses through confinement. Recently [1,2], their impact on electron energy distributions has also been measured and modeled in inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) systems.

In this work, we consider the application of static magnetic fields in an ICP reactor using a 2D fluid plasma model [3]. The model has been updated to include solution of the 3D inductively-coupled electric field components in the presence of a static 2D magnetic field [4] and has appropriate modification of electron mobility and diffusion coefficients to their tensor forms. We investigate the impact of magnetic field structure and strength on plasma density profile, electron temperature, ion energy distribution, and plasma chemistry for a variety of processing conditions (pressures, powers, feedstock gases), focusing on both the region near the ICP source and in close proximity to the processing stage. We also consider the form and intensity of electric field components and impact on power deposition region when a magnetic field is applied and discuss model validation with peer-reviewed experimental data.

[1] V.A. Godyak, Physics of Plasmas 20, 101611 (2013).

[2] S.H. Song, et al., Physics of Plasmas 21, 093512 (2014).

[3] S. Rauf, et al., Journal of Applied Physics 105, 103301 (2009).

[4] R.L. Kinder and M.J. Kushner, JVSTA 19, 76 (2001).