PLASMA-ASSISTED SURFACE MODIFICATION AND RADICAL DIAGNOSTICS

Plasma-assisted deposition and etching have widely been applied to mic roelectronics devices in industries as well as to huge vacuum devices in nuclear fusion. A more detailed understanding of plasma processing is essential for development of new techniques for small-scale (< 1/4 mum) etching and large-scale ( > 10 m) deposition. A scaling law for u niformity of large-scale deposition was found in a simulation experime nt of boron coating of fusion devices, using a less hazardous boride B 10H14 (decaborane). Moreover, boron etching by a fluorocarbon plasma w as demonstrated along with a new modeling of surface-coverage effects. Appearance mass spectrometry which is a powerful tool for neutral rad ical detection, has successfully been applied to a CF4 containing RF p lasma for semiconductor etching. Addition of a small amount of H-2 int o CF4 drastically modified the kinetics of CF2 and CF3 radicals as a r esult of surface processes.