Monte Carlo simulation of the effects of vacuum-ultraviolet radiation on dielectric materials

摘要

Radiation-induced damage during plasma processing of semiconductor materials can adversely affect device reliability. However, it has been shown that vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation (8-20 eV) can beneficially deplete previously deposited charge on the surface of dielectrics by temporarily increasing their conductivity. Incident VUV photons can cause photoemission and form electron-hole pairs in the dielectric thus producing the desired increased conductivity. To verify this, statistical information obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation is used to model VUV exposure of dielectrics. The simulation calculates the surface potential on the dielectric produced by electron photoemission, which compares favorably with experimental surface-potential measurements made using a Kelvin probe.