The energy balance at substrate surfaces during plasma processing

A summary is given of different elementary processes influencing the therma l balance and energetic conditions of substrate surfaces during plasma proc essing. The discussed mechanisms include heat radiation, kinetic and potent ial energy of charged particles and neutrals as well as enthalpy of involve d chemical surface reactions. The energy and momentum of particles originat ing from the plasma or electrodes, respectively, influence via energy flux density (energetic aspect) and substrate temperature (thermal aspect) the s urface properties of the treated substrates. The various contributions to t he energy balance are given in a modular mathematical framework form and ex amples for an estimation of heat fluxes and numerical values of relevant co efficients for energy transfer, etc. are given. For a few examples as titanium film deposition by hollow cathode arc evapor ation, silicon etching in CF4 glow discharge, plasma cleaning of contaminat ed metal surfaces, and magnetron sputtering of aluminum the energetic balan ce of substrates during plasma processing will be presented. Furthermore, t he influence of the resulting substrate temperature on characteristic quant ities as etching or deposition rates, layer density, microstructure, etc. w ill be illustrated for some examples, too. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. A ll rights reserved.