| AVS 66th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology Division | Monday Sessions |
| Session PS2-MoM |
| Session: | Plasma Modeling |
| Presenter: | Ronan Leal, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France |
| Authors: | R. Leal, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France B. Bruneau, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France P. Bulkin, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France T. Novikova, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France F. Silva, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France N. Habka, TOTAL GRP - New Energies, France E.V. Johnson, LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, France |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
We present a novel technique to perform contactless and mask-free patterned plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and etching. When a powered electrode with narrow slits is placed very close to the substrate, plasma is selectively ignited within the slits due to the hollow cathode effect, and so deposition or etching occurs only within an area smaller than the size of the slit. This technique is demonstrated through the deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon using a gas mixture of hydrogen and silane. Slits as small as 1 mm generate a plasma, and for this width, the lines deposited are about 750 µm wide, homogenous over their length (60 mm), and are deposited at a rate of 50 nm/min. The phenomenon is studied using Particle In Cell (PIC) modelling. The electron localization observed in the PIC modelling provides an explanation of why the deposition is narrower than the slit. In addition, an excellent correlation between results of modeled ion flux profile and experimental etching profile is observed.
This technique offers several advantages as it allows the lithographic function to be performed (i) directly, including for high quality semiconductor layers that can be deposited using PECVD, and (ii) in a contactless fashion, as the technique does not require a mask to be in contact with the substrate, (iii) at high rates without depositing powder, and (iv) in a reactor chamber that can be also used to deposit homogenous blanket layers simply by backing the electrode away from the surface.