Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
MENU
PTIBlog
MostPopularPosts
BallBondingvs.WedgeBonding
IntroductiontoWireBondPull&BallShearTesting
SolderBumpBonding,BallBumpsandWireBonds
ComparingAu,Pt,AgandCuWireBonding
BenefitsofReverseWireBonding&StandOffStitch
DieAttachVoidingRequirementsinEutecticallyBondedGaAsandGaNMMICPowerAmplifiers
StackDie(3DIC)AssemblyDriversandChallenges
Gold(Au)WireBondingandtheRiseofCopper(Cu)Wire
GoldTinEutecticSolderAdvantagesforLEDAssembly
UltraHighReliabilityWireBonding
TheImportanceofDCSelfBiasVoltageinPlasmaApplications
PostedbyJaninePowellonWed,Jun01,2016@06:06AM
Inreactiveionetching(RIE)plasmaprocesses,theparameterknownasDCselfbiasvoltageisanimportantcontrolknobforthe
ionenergy.Dependingonthespecificapplication,theprocessengineercanmanipulatethisparameterforthedesiredeffect.
Generallyspeaking,ahigherDCselfbiasleadstoahigherrateofionetching.
WhenanRFelectricfieldisappliedtoavacuumchamber,theelectronsaredrivenbackandforthbytheelectricfieldandhitthe
poweredelectrodeeveryalternatinghalfoftheRFcycle.Ablockingcapacitor,normallyavailableintheTuningNetwork,actsas
conductorfortheRFACfieldbutalsoactsasanisolatorforaselfinducedDCfield.Theimpingingofelectronsonthepowered
electrodeallowthebuildupofanegativeDCfieldinadditiontotheACfield.ThisnegativepotentialistheDCselfbias.
Figure1belowshowsthetypicalplasmadistributionacrossthechamberanditstimeaveragedvaluesofelectricalpotentialsinthe
steadystate.Inthefigure,regionsAandBaretheionsheathswhicharetypicallyafewmillimetersthinlayersthatsitbetweenthe
plasmabulkandtheelectrodes(ChamberwallsAnodeandPoweredelectrodeCathode).
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/theimportanceofdcselfbiasvoltageinplasmaapplications 1/5
2/23/2017 TheImportanceofDCSelfBiasVoltageinPlasmaApplications
Thesheaththicknessisinverselyproportionaltotheplasmadensityandtheprocessoperatingpressure.
Figure1:Illustrationofplasmadistribution(GroundedChamber)andelectricalpotential(Electrode)inareactiveionetching
process.
Theplasmabulkisatahigherpotentialthantheelectrode.Ionsconstantlybombardtheelectrodeinresponsetothepotential
difference.Alargequantityofions,presentintheplasma,cannotreactquicklytotheRFfieldbuttheDCselfbiasacceleratesthem
towardsthepoweredelectrode.Theseionsacquireanaverageenergy(eV)equivalenttothesumofDCselfbiasVdc andthe
plasmapotentialVpp(DCBIAS=Vdc +Vpp)[1].
FactorsInfluencingDCSelfBias
ThefactorsthatinfluenceDCselfbiasare:
Ratiobetweenthesurfaceareasofthegroundandpoweredelectrodes
Chamberpressure,beingthattheselfbiasisinverselyproportional
RFforwardpower,beingthattheselfbiasisproportional
Typeofgas
Whendesigningaplasmasystem,typicallythemechanicaldesignofthechamberisdrivenbyfactorslikeproductsizeandquantity,
requiredthroughput,typeofplasma,andsoon.Forthisreason,oncedesigned,theratiobetweentheanodeandcathodecanno
longerbechanged.Thislimitationmayaffecttheoverallqualityofdesignoftheplasmasystem,asonlythisfactorcanmakethe
differencebetweenahighlyefficientorpoorlyefficientsystem.
TheDCselfbiasvoltagecanbeincreasedbyreducingthechamberpressure.Itsdependenceonpressureisrelatedtothemean
freepathofelectronswhichdefinestheaveragedistancetheparticletravelsbeforeencounteringacollision.Alargermeanfreepath
willresultinahigherDCselfbiasvoltageanditsinverseproportionalitytopressureisdefinedbythekinetictheoryofgas[2].
TheRFforwardpowercontributestoaproportionalincreaseofthedcselfbias.Thoughthismaybeseenasalinearcontribution,in
realitytheratioofproportionalitymayvaryaccordingtocurrentprocesspressure.
Finally,thetypeofgasthatisusedintheprocesswillalsoyieldadifferentresult.Figure2belowshowsanexamplewheretheDC
selfbiaschangesinareactorwhereallvariablesaremaintained,withtheexceptionofthegastype.Duetolowerelectrondensity
andhigherelectrontemperature,theselfbiasvoltageinAr/Cl2plasmaishighercomparedtopureArplasma[3].
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/theimportanceofdcselfbiasvoltageinplasmaapplications 2/5
2/23/2017 TheImportanceofDCSelfBiasVoltageinPlasmaApplications
Figure2:SelfbiasdependenceonthepressureforpureArandAr/Cl2 mixtureplasmaforthesamediameterelectrode[3]
WhiletheDCselfbiasmakesionbombardmentatthepowerelectrodemuchmoreeffectivethanatthegroundelectrode,some
applicationswanttoavoidtheaggressiveionetchinginordertopreventdamageonionsensitiveproducts.Thiscanbedoneby
takingthegroundelectrodeastheproductplatformforaplasmaetching(PE)process.
Plasmaetchingiswidelyusedinmildetchingprocessesandinplasmacleaning.Theproductistypicallysittingonagroundedor
floatingpotentialholderandiscompletelyimmersedintheplasmacloud.
Especiallyinchemicalplasmas,theexposuretoalargequantityofradicalspresentintheplasmacloudcanyieldverysatisfying
resultsintermsofetchand/orsurfaceactivation.
SCIAutomationPteLtddesignsandmanufacturesveryhighqualityplasmasystemswhichhavetheflexibilitytoswitchbetweenRIE
andPEprocesses,bothwithveryhighuniformityingasandRFdistributions.Anotherconfigurationthatwesupplyisdownstream
plasmawheretheionsandelectronsarefilteredoutbyaFaradayGrid,leavingastreamoffreeradicalsandneutralspeciestothe
productforionfreeplasma.DownstreamplasmacanalsobeeffectivelyusedtofilteroutunwantedUVradiation.Special
downstreamdesignsallowustocreateefficientiontrapandUVtrapconfigurations.Wewillintroducethissystemandits
applicationsinanupcomingblog.
SCIAutomationPlasmaCleanersandetchingsystemscombinetheprocessstrength,ionefficiencyandthroughputtoqualifythem
asbestinclassequipment.Withover16yearsofexperience,SCIAutomationisyourqualifiedpartnerforplasmacleaning
applications.Feelfreetosharewithusyourapplicationrequirements.
DownloadtheSCIAutomationDataSheetsformoreinformationonplasmacleaningsystems:
Dr.EnricoMalatesta
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/theimportanceofdcselfbiasvoltageinplasmaapplications 3/5
2/23/2017 TheImportanceofDCSelfBiasVoltageinPlasmaApplications
CEO
SCIAutomationPte.Ltd.Singapore
DennisTeeXianYang(PhDPhysics)
CustomerApplicationSupport
SCIAutomationPte.Ltd.Singapore
Topics:RFdevices,SCIAutomation,plasmacleaning
SubscribetotheBlog!
Email*
Subscribe
Home
AssemblyServices
CustomerServices
PTIBlog
News&Events
AboutUs
ContactUs
Products
Applications
Processes
DataSheets
Resources
Webcasts&VideoDemos
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/theimportanceofdcselfbiasvoltageinplasmaapplications 4/5
2/23/2017 TheImportanceofDCSelfBiasVoltageinPlasmaApplications
Privacy|Terms&Conditions
Copyright19952013PalomarTechnologies
http://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/theimportanceofdcselfbiasvoltageinplasmaapplications 5/5