Fundamental study towards a better understanding of low pressure radio-frequency plasmas for industrial applications
Yong-Xin Liu(刘永新), Quan-Zhi Zhang(张权治), Kai Zhao(赵凯), Yu-Ru Zhang(张钰如), Fei Gao(高飞),Yuan-Hong Song(宋远红), and You-Nian Wang(王友年)†
Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion, and Electron Beams(Ministry of Education), School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Abstract Two classic radio-frequency (RF) plasmas, i.e., the capacitively and the inductively coupled plasmas (CCP and ICP), are widely employed in material processing, e.g., etching and thin film deposition, etc. Since RF plasmas are usually operated in particular circumstances, e.g., low pressures (mTorr-Torr), high-frequency electric field (13.56 MHz-200 MHz), reactive feedstock gases, diverse reactor configurations, etc., a variety of physical phenomena, e.g., electron resonance heating, discharge mode transitions, striated structures, standing wave effects, etc., arise. These physical effects could significantly influence plasma-based material processing. Therefore, understanding the fundamental processes of RF plasma is not only of fundamental interest, but also of practical significance for the improvement of the performance of the plasma sources. In this article, we review the major progresses that have been achieved in the fundamental study on the RF plasmas, and the topics include 1) electron heating mechanism, 2) plasma operation mode, 3) pulse modulated plasma, and 4) electromagnetic effects. These topics cover the typical issues in RF plasma field, ranging from fundamental to application.
Fund: This work has been financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11935005 and 11875100).
Corresponding Authors:
You-Nian Wang
E-mail: ynwang@dlut.edu.cn
Cite this article:
Yong-Xin Liu(刘永新), Quan-Zhi Zhang(张权治), Kai Zhao(赵凯), Yu-Ru Zhang(张钰如), Fei Gao(高飞),Yuan-Hong Song(宋远红), and You-Nian Wang(王友年) Fundamental study towards a better understanding of low pressure radio-frequency plasmas for industrial applications 2022 Chin. Phys. B 31 085202
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