Measurement of the gas temperature of neutrals in reactive plasmas by moderate-resolution OES

Abstract

Abstract Measurements of gas temperature (Tg) in the low-temperature high-density plasma of SF6 containing gas mixes were performed by OES technique. The translational temperature of plasma in the ICP discharge was measured by the method of small addition of nitrogen to the fluorine containing plasmas. Moderate resolution compact spectrometer was applied to get partially resolved rotational spectra of 2+ system of the molecular nitrogen. It is shown that Tg can reach up to 1300 K, weakly depends on investigated pressure range and linearly depends on RF power in the discharge. The absolute value of the temperature differs significantly for different tested plasmas of N2, and SF6/N2. Various aspects of the effect of Tg parameter in plasma on the processes of plasma etching of semiconductor microstructures are discussed.