Abstract
The steady-state parameters and the composition of the dc glow discharge plasma (p = 40–200 Pa, i = 30–70 mA) in methane are investigated by the probe diagnostics and mathematical modeling when solving the Boltzmann kinetic equation. The data on the reduced electric field strength, the electron energy distributions, the rate constants of the processes during the electron impact, the concentrations of charged particles, and the densities of their fluxes on the surface, which restrict the plasma region, are obtained. It is established that the associative electron detachment from the negative ion H− + R → H-R + e (where R = H, CH3, CH2, CH ...) substantially affects the balance of the charged particles in the plasma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gottardi, G., Laidani, N., Bartali, R., Micheli, V., and Anderle, M., Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of a-C:H film in CH4-CO2 plasma: gas composition and substrate biasing effect on the film structure and growth process, Thin Solid Films, 2008, vol. 516, pp. 3910–3918.
Pintassilgo, C.D., Cernogora, G., and Loureiro, J., Spectroscopy study and modeling of an afterglow created by a low-pressure pulsed discharge in N2-CH4, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 2001, vol. 10, pp. 147–161.
Moller, I., Serdyuchenko, A., and Soltwisch, H., Analysis of the chemistry in CH4/O2 plasmas by means of absorption spectroscopy and a simple numerical model, J. Appl. Phys., 2006, vol. 100, p. 033302.
Houlet, L., Rhallabi, A., and Turban, G., Microscopic modeling of InP etching in CH4-H2 plasma, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 1999, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 2598–2606.
Kim, H.K., Lin, H., and Ra, Y., Etching mechanism of a GaN/InGaN/GaN heterostructure in Cl2- and CH4-based inductively coupled plasmas, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 2004, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 598–601.
Rhallabi, A., Houlet, L., and Turban, G., Estimation of surface kinetic parameters and two-dimensional simulation of InP pattern features during CH4-H2 plasma etching, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, 2000, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 1366–1372.
Lim, W.T., Stafford, L., Song, J.I., et al., High-density plasma etching of indium-zinc oxide films in Ar/Cl2 and Ar/CH4/H2 chemistries, Appl. Surf. Sci., 2006, vol. 253, pp. 2752–2757.
Mohasseb, F., Hassouni, K., Bénédic, F., Lombardi, G., and Gicquel, A., Modelling of Ar/H2/CH4 microwave discharges used for nanocrystalline diamond growth, Synthesis, Properties and Applications of Ultrananocrystalline Diamond, 2005, pp. 93–108.
Dong, L.-F., Ma, B.-Q., and Wang, Z.-J., Electron behavior in CH4/H2 gas mixture in electron-assisted chemical vapour deposition, Chin. Phys. Soc., 2005, vol. 13, no. 10, pp. 1597–1600.
Bera, K., Farouk, B., and Vitello, P., Inductively coupled radio frequency methane plasma simulation, J. Appl. Phys., 2001, vol. 34, pp. 1479–1490.
Hassouni, K., Lombardi, G., Duten, X., et al., Overview of the different aspects in modeling moderate pressure H2 and H2/CH4 microwave discharges, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., 2006, vol. 15, pp. 117–125.
Moller, W., Plasma and surface modeling of the deposition of hydrogenated carbon films from low-pressure methane plasmas, J. Appl. Phys., 1993, vol. A56, pp. 527–546.
Rudenko, K.V., Makon’kikh, A.V., Orlikovskii, A.A., and Pustovit, A.N., New method for the langmuir probe diagnostics of polymerizing plasmas, Russian Microelectronics, 2007, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 14–26.
Titov, V.A., Rybkin, V.V., Maximov, A.I., and Choi, H.-S., Characteristics of atmospheric pressure air glow discharge with aqueous electrolyte cathode, Plasma Chem. Plasma Process, 2005, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 503–517.
Semenova, O.A., Efremov, A.M., and Svettsov, V.I., Kinetic and transport process characteristics under the electron impact in the methane plasma, Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Khim. Khim. Tekhnol., 2012, vol. 55, no. 7, pp. 44–47.
Lide, D.R., CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, New York: CNR, 1998–1999.
Lieberman, M.A. and Lichtenberg, A.J., Principles of Plasma Discharges and Materials Processing, New York: Wiley, 1994.
Chantry, P.J., A simple formula for diffusion calculations involving wall reflection and low density, J. Appl. Phys., 1987, vol. 62, pp. 1141–1148.
Peart, B., Walton, D.S., and Dolder, T., Electron detachment from Hions by electron impact, J. Phys. B.: Atom. Molec. Phys., 1970, vol. 3, pp. 1346–1356.
Glover, S.C., Savin, D.W., and Jappsen, A.-K., Cosmological implications of the uncertainty in H− destruction rate coefficients, Astrophys. J., 2006, vol. 640, pp. 553–568.
Oda, A., Suda, Y., and Okita, A., Numerical analysis of pressure dependence on carbon nanotube-growth in CH4/H2 plasmas, Thin Solid Films, 2008, vol. 516, pp. 6570–6574.
Gogolides, D., Mary, D., Rhallabi, A., and Turban, G., RF plasmas in methane: prediction of plasma properties and neutral radical densities with combined gasphase physics and chemistry model, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., 1995, vol. 34, pp. 261–270.
Herrebout, D., Bogaerts, A., Yan, M., et al., Onedimensional fluid model for an RF methane plasma of interest in deposition of diamond-like carbon layers, J. Appl. Phys., 2001, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 570–579.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © O.A. Semenova, A.M. Efremov, S.M. Barinov, A.A. Kuchumov, V.I. Svetsov, 2013, published in Mikroelektronika, 2013, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 375–382.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Semenova, O.A., Efremov, A.M., Barinov, S.M. et al. Electrical parameters and concentrations of charged particles in methane plasma. Russ Microelectron 42, 301–308 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063739713040057
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063739713040057