| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology Division | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session PS-TuM |
| Session: | Plasma Diagnostics and Sources I |
| Presenter: | David Ruzic, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Authors: | G.A. Panici, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign D.N. Ruzic, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign D. Qerimi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign D.E. Barlaz, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign B.E. Jurczyk, Starfire Industries LLC |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Surface wave plasmas have been used increasingly in industrial applications due to their high electron densities (1011-12 cm-3), high radical densities (1013-14 cm-3), and low electron temperatures (1-5 eV). Typical radical creation systems generate radicals at a distance from where they are needed. A compact surface wave plasma source can generate and deliver the radicals at the surface where etching is desired. The source is microwave driven, operating in the hundreds of megahertz. At these frequencies, the wave reflects at the plasma sheath boundary due to the cutoff frequency of electrons once the plasma reaches critical density (typically a microsecond). The power is then largely deposited in the sheath, creating a plasma along the surface. In addition to local radical delivery, they can operate from fractions of millitorr to 10 torr and utilize a variety of antenna geometries (lines, arcs, plates).
A compact surface wave plasma source was characterized over a large range of pressures. The electron densities, electron temperatures and radical densities were measured as a function of distance from the plasma source. Multiple gas species were used to investigate the influence on plasma and radical parameters. These results will be presented.