skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Real-time control of electron density in a capacitively coupled plasma

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4795207· OSTI ID:22111972
; ;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology (NCPST), Research and Engineering Building, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland) and School of Physical Sciences, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)
  2. National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology (NCPST), Research and Engineering Building, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland) and School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)
  3. School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 (Ireland)

Reactive ion etching (RIE) is sensitive to changes in chamber conditions, such as wall seasoning, which have a deleterious effect on process reproducibility. The application of real time, closed loop control to RIE may reduce this sensitivity and facilitate production with tighter tolerances. The real-time, closed loop control of plasma density with RF power in a capacitively coupled argon plasma using a hairpin resonance probe as a sensor is described. Elementary control analysis shows that an integral controller provides stable and effective set point tracking and disturbance attenuation. The trade off between performance and robustness may be quantified in terms of one parameter, namely the position of the closed loop pole. Experimental results are presented, which are consistent with the theoretical analysis.

OSTI ID:
22111972
Journal Information:
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films, Vol. 31, Issue 3; Other Information: (c) 2013 American Vacuum Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0734-2101
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Attenuation of wall disturbances in an electron cyclotron resonance oxygen–argon plasma using real time control
Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films · OSTI ID:22111972

Seasoning of plasma etching reactors: Ion energy distributions to walls and real-time and run-to-run control strategies
Journal Article · Thu May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. A, Vacuum, Surfaces and Films · OSTI ID:22111972

Effect of dc bias control on the power absorption in low-pressure, radio-frequency capacitive sheaths
Journal Article · Mon Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2007 · Journal of Applied Physics · OSTI ID:22111972