Control of contamination and radical recombination in a remote SDBD plasma source for spatial ALD P3.03

摘要

Proximity remote plasma sources based on the Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) principle are being investigated at TNO for applicability in Plasma Enhanced Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (PE-S-ALD) [1]. Spatial ALD is an emerging technology suitable for thin film deposition on substrates passing a series of spatially separated gas injector zones at atmospheric pressure. The concept allows for deposition rates 100 times faster than possible with conventional ALD. Thermal Spatial ALD is commercially available, however, the development of Plasma Enhanced processes is expected to lower process temperatures and/or allow deposition of materials not feasible with the thermal process. The exposure of substrates to a direct plasma may cause filamentary discharges, which generally lead to inhomogeneous deposition and contamination of the thin film. Unlike with direct plasma, remote plasma sources produce a plasma at a distance from the treatable substrate. Here the reactions needed for the deposition process are caused by the plasma species transported downstream from the plasma to the substrate. The separation of plasma and substrate has several advantages over the direct plasma, specifically the control of plasma and substrate conditions (relatively) independently from each other. Conductive substrates, dielectric films with electrical capacitance and thin layer integrated electronic devices can be exposed to reactive plasma species without affecting the homogeneity.