Neutral gas temperature measurements of high-power-density fluorocarbon plasmas by fitting swan bands of C2 molecules -: art. no. 013308

The neutral gas temperature of fluorocarbon plasmas in a remote toroidal transformer-coupled source was measured to be greater than 5000 K, under the conditions of a power density greater than 15 W/cm(3) and pressures above 2 torr. The rovibrational bands of C-2 molecules (swan bands, d (3)Pi(g)-> a (3)Pi(u)) were fitted to obtain the rotational temperature that was assumed to equal the translational temperature. This rotational-translational temperature equilibrium assumption was supported by the comparison with the rotational temperature of second positive system of added N-2. For the same gas mixture, the neutral gas temperature is nearly a linear function of plasma power, since the conduction to chamber wall and convection are the major energy-loss processes, and they are both proportional to neutral gas temperature. The dependence of the neutral gas temperature on O-2 flow rate and pressure can be well represented through the power dependence, under the condition of constant current operation. An Arrhenius type of dependence between the etching rate of oxide film and the neutral gas temperature is observed, maybe indicating the importance of the pyrolytic dissociation in the plasma formation process when the temperature is above 5000 K. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.