Magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled plasmas (MaPE-ICPs) are a promising source for plasma-based etching and have a wide range of material processing applications. In the present study Langmuir probe and optic...Magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled plasmas (MaPE-ICPs) are a promising source for plasma-based etching and have a wide range of material processing applications. In the present study Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy were used to monitor the evolution of plasma parameters in a MaPE-ICP Ar-Na/He mixture plasma. Electron density (ne) and temperature (Te), excitation temperature (Texc), plasma potential (Vp), skin depth (6) and the evolution of the electron energy probability function (EEPF) are reported as a function of radiofrequency (RF) power, pressure and argon concentration in the mixture. It is observed that ne increases while Te decreases with increase in RF power and argon concentration in the mixture. The emission intensity of the argon line at 750.4 nm is also used to monitor the variation of the ‘high-energy tail' of the EEPF with RF power and gas pressure. The EEPF has a ‘bi-Maxwellian' distribution at low RF powers and higher pressure in a pure N2 discharge. However, it evolves into a ‘Maxwellian' distribution at RF powers greater than 70 W for pure N2, and at 50 W for higher argon concentrations in the mixture. The effect of argon concentration on the temperatures of two electron groups in the ‘bi-Maxwellian' EEPF is examined. The temperature of the low-energy electron group TL shows a decreasing trend with argon addition until the ‘thermalization' of the two temperatures occurs, while the temperature of high-energy electrons Ta decreases continuously.展开更多
Langmuir probe measurements of radio frequency (RF) magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled (MaPE-ICP) argon plasma were accomplished to obtain the electron number densities and electron temperatures. The measu...Langmuir probe measurements of radio frequency (RF) magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled (MaPE-ICP) argon plasma were accomplished to obtain the electron number densities and electron temperatures. The measurements were carried out with a fixed RF frequency of 13.56 MHz in a pressure range of 7.5 mTorr to 75 mTorr at an applied RF power of 10 W and 100 W. These results are compared with a global (volume average) model. The results show good agreement between theoretical and experimental measurements. The electron number density shows an increasing trend with both RF power and pressure while the electron temperature shows decreasing trend as the pressure increases. The difference in the plasma potentiM and floating potential as a function of electron temperature measured from the electrical probe and that obtained theoretically shows a linear relation with a small difference in the coefficient of proportionality. The intensity of the emission line at 750.4 nm due to 2pl → 1s2 (Paschen's notation) transition closely follows the variation of ne with RF power and filling gas pressure. Measured electron energy probability function (EEPF) shows that electron occupation changes mostly in the high-energy tail, which highlights close similarity of 750.4 nm argon line to he.展开更多
In this paper,E-H mode transition in magnetic-pole-enhanced inductively coupled neon-argon mixture plasma is investigated in terms of fundamental plasma parameters as a function of argon fraction(0%-100%),operating pr...In this paper,E-H mode transition in magnetic-pole-enhanced inductively coupled neon-argon mixture plasma is investigated in terms of fundamental plasma parameters as a function of argon fraction(0%-100%),operating pressure(1 Pa,5 Pa,10 Pa and 50 Pa),and radio frequency(RF)power(5-100 W).An RF compensated Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy are used for the diagnostics of the plasma under study.Owing to the lower ionization potential and higher collision cross-section of argon,when its fraction in the discharge is increased,the mode transition occurs at lower RF power;i.e.for 0%argon and1 Pa pressure,the threshold power of the E-H mode transition is 65 W,which reduces to 20 W when the argon fraction is increased.The electron density increases with the argon fraction at afixed pressure,whereas the temperature decreases with the argon fraction.The relaxation length of the low-energy electrons increases,and decreases for high-energy electrons with argon fraction,due to the Ramseur effect.However,the relaxation length of both groups of electrons decreases with pressure due to reduction in the mean free path.The electron energy probability function(EEPF)profiles are non-Maxwellian in E-mode,attributable to the nonlocal electron kinetics in this mode;however,they evolve to Maxwellian distribution when the discharge transforms to H-mode due to lower electron temperature and higher electron density in H-mode.The tail of the measured EEPFs is found to deplete in both E-and H-modes when the argon fraction in the discharge is increased,because argon has a much lower excitation potential(11.5 eV)than neon(16.6 eV).展开更多
基金aided by the Higher Education Commission(HEC)under the NRPU Research Project no.2997/R&D/14 COMSATS Institute of Information TechnologyHEC Research Project no.20-2002(R&D)Quaid-i-Azam University
文摘Magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled plasmas (MaPE-ICPs) are a promising source for plasma-based etching and have a wide range of material processing applications. In the present study Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy were used to monitor the evolution of plasma parameters in a MaPE-ICP Ar-Na/He mixture plasma. Electron density (ne) and temperature (Te), excitation temperature (Texc), plasma potential (Vp), skin depth (6) and the evolution of the electron energy probability function (EEPF) are reported as a function of radiofrequency (RF) power, pressure and argon concentration in the mixture. It is observed that ne increases while Te decreases with increase in RF power and argon concentration in the mixture. The emission intensity of the argon line at 750.4 nm is also used to monitor the variation of the ‘high-energy tail' of the EEPF with RF power and gas pressure. The EEPF has a ‘bi-Maxwellian' distribution at low RF powers and higher pressure in a pure N2 discharge. However, it evolves into a ‘Maxwellian' distribution at RF powers greater than 70 W for pure N2, and at 50 W for higher argon concentrations in the mixture. The effect of argon concentration on the temperatures of two electron groups in the ‘bi-Maxwellian' EEPF is examined. The temperature of the low-energy electron group TL shows a decreasing trend with argon addition until the ‘thermalization' of the two temperatures occurs, while the temperature of high-energy electrons Ta decreases continuously.
基金supported partially by QAU URF, Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) project No. PSF/RES/Phys (152)
文摘Langmuir probe measurements of radio frequency (RF) magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled (MaPE-ICP) argon plasma were accomplished to obtain the electron number densities and electron temperatures. The measurements were carried out with a fixed RF frequency of 13.56 MHz in a pressure range of 7.5 mTorr to 75 mTorr at an applied RF power of 10 W and 100 W. These results are compared with a global (volume average) model. The results show good agreement between theoretical and experimental measurements. The electron number density shows an increasing trend with both RF power and pressure while the electron temperature shows decreasing trend as the pressure increases. The difference in the plasma potentiM and floating potential as a function of electron temperature measured from the electrical probe and that obtained theoretically shows a linear relation with a small difference in the coefficient of proportionality. The intensity of the emission line at 750.4 nm due to 2pl → 1s2 (Paschen's notation) transition closely follows the variation of ne with RF power and filling gas pressure. Measured electron energy probability function (EEPF) shows that electron occupation changes mostly in the high-energy tail, which highlights close similarity of 750.4 nm argon line to he.
基金partially supported by Quaid-i-Azam University URF for the year 2019-2020Higher Education Commission(HEC)P.No.820 for Plasma Physics Gomal University(D I Khan)。
文摘In this paper,E-H mode transition in magnetic-pole-enhanced inductively coupled neon-argon mixture plasma is investigated in terms of fundamental plasma parameters as a function of argon fraction(0%-100%),operating pressure(1 Pa,5 Pa,10 Pa and 50 Pa),and radio frequency(RF)power(5-100 W).An RF compensated Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy are used for the diagnostics of the plasma under study.Owing to the lower ionization potential and higher collision cross-section of argon,when its fraction in the discharge is increased,the mode transition occurs at lower RF power;i.e.for 0%argon and1 Pa pressure,the threshold power of the E-H mode transition is 65 W,which reduces to 20 W when the argon fraction is increased.The electron density increases with the argon fraction at afixed pressure,whereas the temperature decreases with the argon fraction.The relaxation length of the low-energy electrons increases,and decreases for high-energy electrons with argon fraction,due to the Ramseur effect.However,the relaxation length of both groups of electrons decreases with pressure due to reduction in the mean free path.The electron energy probability function(EEPF)profiles are non-Maxwellian in E-mode,attributable to the nonlocal electron kinetics in this mode;however,they evolve to Maxwellian distribution when the discharge transforms to H-mode due to lower electron temperature and higher electron density in H-mode.The tail of the measured EEPFs is found to deplete in both E-and H-modes when the argon fraction in the discharge is increased,because argon has a much lower excitation potential(11.5 eV)than neon(16.6 eV).