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Title: A time dependent model for long mean-free-path transport of neutral particles in plasma etching reactors

Conference ·
OSTI ID:178262
; ;  [1]
  1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Plasma processing for semiconductor fabrication is moving toward reactors using lower gas pressure, and higher plasma density. At the pressures of interest, the mean free path of neutral species is commensurate with the dimensions of interest. As a result, fluid momentum and continuity equations may not be accurate representations of the transport of these species. One method to address long mean-free-path transport is based on the use of a transition matrix, or propagator. The propagator specifies the probability that a particle, having suffered a collision or been produced at a remote site, has its next collision at the location of interest. In this work the propagator method has been extended to a time dependent form by utilizing a retarded time. In doing so, the authors account for the finite flight time of species from the remote site to the local site. The propagator has been implemented as the kinetic module in a 2-dimensional hybrid plasma equipment model, and has been applied to analysis of Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etching reactors. Results from the time dependent propagator method for neutral transport in ICP reactors are compared to fluid and Monte Carlo models to establish its validity and proper parameter space for use. Radical densities and reactive fluxes to surface are discussed.

OSTI ID:
178262
Report Number(s):
CONF-950612-; ISBN 0-7803-2669-5; TRN: IM9607%%292
Resource Relation:
Conference: 22. international conference on plasma science, Madison, WI (United States), 5-8 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of IEEE conference record -- abstracts: 1995 IEEE international conference on plasma science; PB: 312 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English