DIAGNOSIS FOR ADVANCED PLASMA CONTROL OF MATERIALS PROCESSING

Large-diameter high-density plasmas such as electron-cyclotron-resonan ce (ECR), helicon wave, inductively coupled, and surface-wave plasmas are currently being developed for plasma-assisted thin-film processes in the next generation. Actual applications of such high-density plasm as require a deeper understanding of discharge physics as well as adva nced techniques for plasma control. In this paper, new findings on ant enna-plasma couplings are reported. One is resonant directional excita tion of helicon waves and a mechanism of density jump in a helicon RF discharge. The other is the identification of long-wavelength surface- wave modes with observation of the short-wavelength mode in a planar m icrowave discharge. In addition, comprehensive diagnostics of a pulsed inductively coupled plasma in chlorine is presented, which explains t he pronounced effect of pulsed power discharges on charge-up suppressi on.