Engineering topics

Meyyappan, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Meyyappan, M..

At least 73 records · Page 4

NASA NTRS2001

Langmuir Probe and Mass Spectroscopic Measurements in Inductively Coupled CF4 Plasmas

Abstract Electron and ion energy distribution functions and other plasma parameters such as plasma potential (V(sub p)) , electron temperature (T(sub e)), and electron and ion number densities (n (sub e) and n(sub i)) in low pressure CF4 plasmas have been measured. The experiments were conducted in a GEC cell using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) device powered by a 13.56 MHz radio-frequency (rf) power source. The measurements were made at 300 W of input rf power at 10, 30 and 50 mTorr gas pressures. Langmuir probe measurements suggest that n(sub e), n(sub i) and V(sub p) remain constant over 60% of the central electrode area, beyond which they decrease. Within the limits of experimental error (+/- 0.25 eV), T(sub e) remains nearly constant over the electrode area. T(sub e) and V(sub p) increase with a decrease in pressure. n(sub e) and n(sub i) are not affected as significantly as T(sub e) or V(sub p) by variation in the gas pressure. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF) measurements indicate a highly non-Maxwellian plasma. CF3+ is the most dominant ion product of the plasma, followed by CF2+ and CF+. The concentrations of CF2+ and CF+ are much larger than that is possible from direct electron impact ionization of the parent gas. The cross-section data suggest that the direct electron impact ionization of fragment neutrals and negative ion production by electron attachment may be responsible for increase of the minor ions.

Rao, M. V. V. S.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Neutral Gas Temperature Estimates in an Inductively Coupled CF4 Plasma by Fitting Diatomic Emission Spectra

This work examines the accuracy of plasma neutral temperature estimates by fitting the rotational band envelope of different diatomic species in emission. Experiments are performed in an inductively coupled CF4 plasma generated in a Gaseous Electronics Conference reference cell. Visible and ultraviolet emission spectra are collected at a power of 300 W (approximately 0.7 W/cc) and pressure of 30 mtorr. The emission bands of several molecules (CF, CN, C2, CO, and SiF) are fit simultaneously for rotational and vibrational temperatures and compared. Four different rotational temperatures are obtained: 1250 K for CF and CN, 1600 K for CO, 1800 K for C2, and 2300 K for SiF. The vibrational temperatures obtained vary from 1750-5950 K, with the higher vibrational temperatures generally corresponding to the lower rotational temperatures. These results suggest that the different species have achieved different degrees of equilibration between the rotational and vibrational modes and may not be equilibrated with the translational temperatures. The different temperatures are also related to the likelihood that the species are produced by ion bombardment of the surface, with etch products like SiF, CO, and C2 having higher temperatures than species expected to have formed in the gas phase.

Cruden, Brett A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

The Importance of Optical Pathlength Control for Plasma Absorption Measurements

An inductively coupled GEC Cell with modified viewing ports has been used to measure in-situ absorption in CF4 plasmas via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and the results compared to those obtained in a standard viewport configuration. The viewing ports were modified so that the window boundary is inside, rather than outside, of the GEC cell. Because the absorption obtained is a spatially integrated absorption, measurements made represent an averaging of absorbing species inside and outside of the plasma. This modification is made to reduce this spatial averaging and thus allow a more accurate estimation of neutral species concentrations and temperatures within the plasmas. By reducing this pathlength, we find that the apparent CF4 consumption increases from 65% to 95% and the apparent vibrational temperature of CF4 rises by 50-75 K. The apparent fraction of etch product SiF4 decreases from 4% to 2%. The data suggests that these density changes may be due to significant temperature gradients between the plasma and chamber viewports.

Cruden, Brett A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes using Atomic Hydrogen

We have investigated the irradiation of multi walled and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with atomic hydrogen. After irradiating the SWNT sample, a band at 2940/cm (3.4 microns) that is characteristic of the C-H stretching mode is observed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Additional confirmation of SWNT functionalization is tested by irradiating with atomic deuterium. A weak band in the region 1940/cm (5.2 micron) to 2450/cm (4.1 micron) corresponding to C-D stretching mode is also observed in the FTIR spectrum. This technique provides a clean gas phase process for the functionalization of SWNTs, which could lead to further chemical manipulation and/or the tuning of the electronic properties of SWNTs for nanodevice applications.

Khare, Bishun N.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Carbon Nanotube Scanning Probe for Surface Profiling of DUV and 193 nm Photoresist Pattern

The continual scaling down of semiconductors to 100 nm and below necessitates a characterization technique to resolve high aspect ratio features in the nanoscale regime. This paper reports the use of atomic force microscope coupled with high aspect ratio multi-walled carbon nanotube scanning probe tip for the purpose of imaging surface profile of photoresists. Multi-walled carbon nanotube tips used in this work are 5-10 nm in diameter and about a micron long. Their exceptional mechanical strength and ability to reversibly buckle enable to resolve steep, deep nanometer-scale features. Images of photoresist patterns generated by 257 nm interference lithography as well as 193 nm lithography are presented to demonstrate multi-walled carbon nanotube scanning probe tip for applications in metrology.

Nguyen, Cattien V.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Detection of Chamber Conditioning by CF4 in the GEC Cell

During oxide etch processes, buildup of fluorocarbon residues on reactor sidewalks can cause to drift and will necessitate time for conditioning and cleaning of the reactor. Various measurements in CF4 and Ar plasmas are made in an attempt to identify a metric able to indicate the chamber condition. Mass spectrometry and a Langmuir probe shows that the buildup of fluorocarbon films on the reactor surface causes a decrease in plasma floating potential, plasma potential, and ion energy in argon plasmas. This change in floating potential is also observed in CF4 plasma operation, and occurs primarily during the first hour and a half of plasma operation. A slight rise in electron density is also observed in the argon plasmas. Because the change is seen in an argon plasma, it is indicative of altered physical, not chemical, plasma-surface interactions. Specifically, the insulating films deposited on metal surfaces alter the electromagnetic fields seen by the plasma, affecting various parameters including the floating potential and electron density. An impedance probe placed on the inductive coil shows a slight reduction in plasma impedance due to this rising electron density. The optical emission of several species, including CF, C2, atomic Si and atomic C, is also monitored for changes in density resulting from the buildup of film on the chamber wall. Changes in the optical emission spectrum are comparable to the noise levels in their measurement.

Cruden, Brett A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Inductively-Coupled RF Powered O2 Plasma as a Sterilization Source

Low-temperature or cold plasmas have been shown to be effective for the sterilization of sensitive medical devices and electronic equipment. Low-temperature plasma sterilization procedures possess certain advantages over other protocols such as ethylene oxide, gamma radiation, and heat due to the use of inexpensive reagents, the insignificant environmental impacts and the low energy requirements. In addition, plasmas may also be more efficacious in the removal of robust microorganisms due to their higher chemical reactivity. Together, these attributes render cold plasma sterilization as ideal for the surface decontamination requirements for NASA Planetary Protection. Hence, the work described in this study involves the construction, characterization, and application of an inductively-coupled, RF powered oxygen (O2) plasma.

Sharma, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Ion Dynamics Model for Collisionless Radio Frequency Sheaths

Full scale reactor model based on fluid equations is widely used to analyze high density plasma reactors. It is well known that the submillimeter scale sheath in front of a biased electrode supporting the wafer is difficult to resolve in numerical simulations, and the common practice is to use results for electric field from some form of analytical sheath model as boundary conditions for full scale reactor simulation. There are several sheath models in the literature ranging from Child's law to a recent unified sheath model [P. A. Miller and M. E. Riley, J. Appl. Phys. 82, 3689 (1997)l. In the present work, the cold ion fluid equations in the radio frequency sheath are solved numerically to show that the spatiotemporal variation of ion flux inside the sheath, commonly ignored in analytical models, is important in determining the electric field and ion energy at the electrode. Consequently, a semianalytical model that includes the spatiotemporal variation of ion flux is developed for use as boundary condition in reactor simulations. This semianalytical model is shown to yield results for sheath properties in close agreement with numerical solutions.

Bose, Deepak↗

NASA NTRS2000

Langmuir Probe Measurements of Inductively Coupled Plasmas in CF4/Ar/O2 Mixtures

Fluorocarbon gases, such as CF4, and their mixtures are widely used in contemporary low-pressure and high-density plasma processing techniques. In such plasmas Langmuir probe is one of the most commonly employed diagnostic techniques to obtain electron number density (ne), electron temperature (Te), electron energy distribution function (EEDF), mean electron energy (Ee), ion number density (ni), and plasma potential (Vp). In this paper we report probe data for planar inductively coupled plasmas in CF4/O2/Ar mixtures. By varying the relative concentrations in the mixture, radial profiles of ne, ni, Te, Ee, Vp, EEDF were measured in the mid-plane of the plasma at 10 mTorr and 20 mTorr of gas pressures, and 200 W and 300 W of RF powers. Data show that ne and ni decrease with increase of CF4 content and decrease of gas-pressure but they increase with increase of RF-power, whereas Vp increases with decrease of gas-pressure and remains independent of RF-power. However, they all peak at the center of the plasma and decrease towards the edge while Te follows the other way and increases a little with increase of power. The measured EEDFs exhibit Druyvesteyn-like distribution at all pressures and powers. Data are analyzed and will be presented.

Rao, M. V. V. S.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Mass Spectrometric and Langmuir Probe Measurements in Inductively Coupled Plasmas in Ar, CHF3/Ar and CHF3/Ar/O2 Mixtures

Absolute fluxes and energy distributions of ions in inductively coupled plasmas of Ar, CHF3/Ar, and CHF3/Ar/O2 have been measured. These plasmas were generated in a Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) cell modified for inductive coupling at pressures 10-50 mTorr and 100-300 W of 13.56 MHz radio frequency (RF) power in various feedgas mixtures. In pure Ar plasmas, the Ar(+) flux increases linearly with pressure as well as RF-power. Total ion flux in CHF3 mixtures decreases with increase in pressure and also CHF3 concentration. Relative ion fluxes observed in the present studies are analyzed with the help of available cross sections for electron impact ionization and charge-exchange ion-molecule reactions. Measurements of plasma potential, electron and ion number densities, electron energy distribution function, and mean electron energy have also been made in the center of the plasma with a RF compensated Langmuir probe. Plasma potential values are compared with the mean ion energies determined from the measured ion energy distributions and are consistent. Electron temperature, plasma potential, and mean ion energy vary inversely with pressure, but increase with CHF3 content in the mixture.

Kim, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Simulation and Experimental Measurements of Inductively Coupled CF4 and CF4/Ar Plasmas

The recently developed code SEMS (semiconductor equipment modeling software)is applied to the simulation of CF4 and CF4/Ar inductively coupled plasmas (ICP). This work builds upon the earlier nitrogen, transformer coupled plasma (TCP) SEMS research by demonstrating its accuracy for more complex reactive mixtures, moving closer to the realization of a virtual plasma reactor. Attention is given to the etching of and/or formation of carbonaceous films on the quartz dielectric window and diagnostic aperatures. The simulations are validated through comparisons with experimental measurements using FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) and UV absorption spectroscopy for CFx and SiFx neutral radicals, QMS (quadrupole mass spectrometry) for the ions, and Langmuir probe measurements of electron number density and temperature in an ICP GEC reference cell.

Hash, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Modeling of HiPco Process for Carbon Nanotube Production

High-pressure carbon monoxide (HiPco) reactor, developed at Rice University, is used to produce single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) from gas-phase reactions of iron carbonyl and nickel carbonyl in carbon monoxide at high pressures (10 - 100 atm). Computational modeling is used to better understand the HiPco process. In the present model, decomposition of the precursor, metal cluster formation and growth, and carbon nanotube growth are addressed. Decomposition of precursor molecules is necessary to initiate metal cluster formation. The metal clusters serve as catalysts for carbon nanotube growth. Diameter of metal clusters and number of atoms in these clusters are some of the essential information for predicting carbon nanotube formation and growth, which is then modeled by Boudouard reaction (2CO ---> C(s) + CO2) with metal catalysts. The growth kinetic model is integrated with a two-dimensional axisymmetric reactor flow model to predict reactor performance.

Gokcen, T.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Langmuir Probe Measurements of Inductively Coupled CHF3/Ar and Ar/CHF3/O2 Plasmas

Plasma parameters, such as, electron number density (ne), electron temperature (Te), y electron energy distribution function (EEDF), mean electron energy (Ee), ion number density (ni), and plasma potential (Vp), have been measured by using Langmuir probe in low-pressure (10-50 mTorr) inductively coupled CHF3/Ar and CHF3/Ar/O2 plasmas generated in the GEC cell. The measurements were made at the center of the plasma, keeping the lower electrode grounded, for various CHF3/Ar and Ar/CHF3/O2 mixtures operating at 10-50 mTorr pressures and two input RF power levels, 200 and 300 W. EEDF data show a strong Druyvesteyn distribution with relatively lower number of low energy electrons as compared to a Maxwell distribution and a large electron population with energies higher than the plasma potential. The results further show that at low CHF3 concentrations (less than 50%) the electron number density remains nearly constant with increase in pressure. At higher CHF3 concentrations, however, it decreases with increase in pressure. Plasma potential and electron temperature increase with decrease in pressure and with increase in CHF3 concentration. An analysis of the above observations and mechanisms will be presented.

Sharma, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Self-Consistent Plasma-Sheath Model for the Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactor

Accurate determination of ion flux on a wafer requires a self-consistent, multidimensional modeling of plasma reactor that adequately resolves the sheath region adjoining the wafer. This level of modeling is difficult to achieve since non-collisional sheath lengths are usually 3-4 orders of magnitude smaller than the reactor scale. Also, the drift-diffusion equations used for ion transport becomes invalid in the sheath since the ion frictional force is no longer in equilibrium with drift and diffusion forces. The alternative is to use a full momentum equation for each ionic species. In this work we will present results from a self-consistent reactor scale-sheath scale model for 2D inductively coupled plasmas. The goal of this study is to improve the modeling capabilities and assess the importance of additional physics in determining important reactor performance features, such as the ion flux uniformity, coil frequency and configuration effects, etc. Effect of numerical dissipation on the solution quality will also be discussed.

Bose, Deepak↗

NASA NTRS2000

Multilayer Film Assembly of Carbon Nanotubes

An approach to assemble multilayers of carbon nanotubes on a substrate is presented. Chemical vapor deposition using a transition metal catalyst formulation is used to grow the nanotubes. Results show a bilayer assembly of nanotubes each with a different density of tubes.

Cassell, Alan M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Combinatorial Optimization of Heterogeneous Catalysts Used in the Growth of Carbon Nanotubes

Libraries of liquid-phase catalyst precursor solutions were printed onto iridium-coated silicon substrates and evaluated for their effectiveness in catalyzing the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The catalyst precursor solutions were composed of inorganic salts and a removable tri-block copolymer (EO)20(PO)70(EO)20 (EO = ethylene oxide, PO = propylene oxide) structure-directing agent (SDA), dissolved in ethanol/methanol mixtures. Sample libraries were quickly assayed using scanning electron microscopy after CVD growth to identify active catalysts and CVD conditions. Composition libraries and focus libraries were then constructed around the active spots identified in the discovery libraries to understand how catalyst precursor composition affects the yield, density, and quality of the nanotubes. Successful implementation of combinatorial optimization methods in the development of highly active, carbon nanotube catalysts is demonstrated, as well as the identification of catalyst formulations that lead to varying densities and shapes of aligned nanotube towers.

Cassell, Alan M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

A Coupled Plasma-Sheath Model for High Density Sources

High density, low pressure plasmas are used for etching and deposition in microelectronics fabrication processes. The process characteristics are strongly determined by the ion energy distribution (IED) and the ion flux arriving at the substrate that are responsible for desorption of etch products and neutral dissociation at the surface. The ion flux and energy are determined by a self- consistent modeling of the bulk plasma, where the ions and the neutral radicals are produced, and the sheath, where the ions are accelerated. Due to their widely different time scales, it is a formidable task to self-consistently resolve non-collisional sheath in a high density bulk plasma model. In this work, we first describe a coupled plasma-sheath model that attempts to resolve the non-collisional sheath in a reactor scale model. Second, we propose a semianalytical radio frequency (RF) sheath model to improve ion dynamics.

Bose, Deepak↗

NASA NTRS2000

Langmuir Probe Measurements in an Inductively Coupled Ar/CF4 Plasmas

Technological advancement in the microelectronics industry requires an understanding of the physical and chemical processes occurring in plasmas of fluorocarbon gases, such as carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) which is commonly used as an etchant, and their mixtures to optimize various operating parameters. In this paper we report data on electron number density (ne), electron temperature'(Te), electron energy distribution function (EEDF), mean electron energy, ion number density (ni), and plasma potential (Vp) measured by using Langmuir probe in an inductively coupled 13.56 MHz radio frequency plasmas generated in 50%Ar:50%CF4 mixture in the GEC cell. The probe data were recorded at various radial positions providing radial profiles of these plasma parameters at 10-50 mTorr pressures and 200 W and 300 W of RF power. Present measurements indicate that the electron and ion number densities increase with increase in pressure and power. Whereas the plasma potential and electron temperature decrease with increase in pressure, and they weakly depend on RF power. The radial profiles exhibit that the electron and ion number densities and the plasma potential peak at the center of the plasma with an exponential fall away from it, while the electron temperature has a minimum at the center and it increases steadily towards the electrode edge. The EEDFs have a characteristic drop near the low energy end at all pressures and pressures and their shapes represent non-Maxwellian plasma and exhibit more like Druyvesteyn energy distribution.v

Rao, M. V. V. S.↗