Plasma vacuum ultraviolet emission in an electron cyclotron resonance etcher

This work investigates the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emission from various f eed gases producing plasmas in an electron cyclotron resonance etcher. Abso lute measurements of plasma VUV emission at typical pressures for processin g between 0.5 and 5 mTorr, and microwave powers between 700 and 1300 W, sho w levels of irradiance at the wafer position of the order of tenths of mW/c m(2) and integrated photon fluxes in the 10(14) photons/cm(2) s range. The reported level of VUV emission is sufficient to induce radiation damage in typical metal-oxide-semiconductor devices in the form of flatband voltage s hift and inversion of lightly doped substrates. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)04718-X].