Affiliation:
1. Esgee Technologies Inc., Austin, Texas 78746
2. Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712
Abstract
A self-consistent two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid plasma model coupled with Maxwell's equations is used to analyze the plasma kinetics of inductively coupled Ar/NF3 low-pressure plasma. We have developed a plasma chemical reaction mechanism for Ar/NF3 plasma and validated the same against the experimental data found in the literature. We analyze two sets of the electron-neutral reaction rate coefficients obtained for assumed Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions. We find that the electron density in the discharge is sensitive to the choice of the electron energy distribution, while the fluorine atoms density is less sensitive. Since the density of atoms is controlled by a balance between production by dissociation reactions and diffusion to the walls, their density is very sensitive to the wall sticking probability.
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Electrical and Electronic Engineering,Surfaces, Coatings and Films,Process Chemistry and Technology,Instrumentation,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials