Predictive study of a plasma structure and function in reactive ion etcherdriven by very high frequency: Validity of an extended two-dimensional relaxation continuum model

The plasma structure and physical function of a narrow gap reactive ion etc her (RIE), consisting of capacitively coupled parallel plates driven at 100 MHz, have been predicted in a proper manner by an extended relaxation cont inuum model including gas flow and sputtered particle transport from the su bstrate. Monitoring the spatiotemporal excitation rate gives validity to th e use of the continuum model even at 50 mTorr under higher power condition mainly maintained by an ionization multiplication of the secondary electron s ejected from the powered electrode by ion impacts. The plasma structures are testified by comparing the two-dimensional net excitation rate of Ar(3p (5)) with the experimental computerized tomography image. A nonvolatile par ticle transport successive to the physical etching on the substrate has bee n predicted in the RIE under a feed gas flow. (C) 2000 American Institute o f Physics. [S0021-8979(00)08920-9].