GROWTH-PROCESSES OF DIELECTRIC THIN-FILMS IN A MULTIPOLAR MICROWAVE PLASMA EXCITED BY DISTRIBUTED ELECTRON-CYCLOTRON-RESONANCE USING TETRAETHYLORTHOSILICATE (TEOS) AND OXYGEN PRECURSORS

Experimental studies were performed to investigate the interaction of a silicon surface and the gaseous phase of a microwave multipolar plas ma produced by distributed electron cyclotron resonance (MMP-DECR) usi ng a TEOS-O-2 mixture. Diagnostics of the plasma, carried out with mas s spectrometry, has shown a total dissociation of TEOS molecules at a low microwave power (approximate to 100 W). The importance of the gas distribution in the reactor with regard to the film stoichiometry and the growth rate has been demonstrated using three different gas inlet configurations. Uniform layers were obtained with centrally injected g as inlets. Growth rate measurements for the TEOS-O-2 mixture have brou ght into evidence the simultaneous activities of the growing and etchi ng processes, the latter coming into marked evidence from a certain pr oportion of O-2 in the mixture and beyond.