Infrared absorption analysis of organosilicon/oxygen plasmas in a microwave multipolar plasma excited by distributed electron cyclotron resonance

The dissociation of four groups of organosilicon monomers (hexamethyldisilo xane, tetraethoxysilane, tetramethylsilane or tetramethoxysilane) in a mult ipolar microwave plasma reactor is analyzed by infrared absorption spectros copy (IRAS), The parent molecules are totally dissociated above 100 W. The resulting stable molecules, such as C2H2, CH4, CO2, CO, C2H4, and OCH2 have been detected at low power but are dissociated at higher power. Each group exhibits its own characteristics of dissociation as well as production of new species depending on its chemical composition. The LR measurements conf irm the extreme effectiveness of the distributed electron cyclotron resonan ce (DECR) plasma excitation mode in molecular dissociation. It seems that t he DECR plasma at high energy dissociates the monomer molecule into its con stituent atoms. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.