• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.274-274
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• 2012

We have researched on controlling an electron temperature and a plasma collision frequency to study the effect of collisions on helicon plasmas. So, we have designed and constructed an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) heating system in the helicon device as an auxiliary heating source. Since then, we have tried to optimize experimental designs such as a magnetic field configuration for ECR heating and 2.45GHz microwave launching system for its power transfer to the plasma effectively, and have characterized plasma parameters using a Langmuir probe. For improving an efficiency of the ECR heating with R-wave in the helicon plasma, we would understand an effect of R-wave propagation with ECR heating in the helicon plasma, because the efficiency of ECR heating with R-wave depends on some factors such as electron temperature, electron density, and magnetic field gradient. Firstly, we calculate the effect of R-wave propagation into the ECR zone in the plasma with those factors. We modify the magnetic field configuration and this system for the effective ECR heating in the plasma. Finally, after optimizing this system, the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and electron density are characterized by a RF compensated Langmuir probe.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.234.1-234.1
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• 2014

Many studies have been investigated on high density plasma source (Electron Cyclotron Resonance[ECR], Inductively Coupled Plasma[ICP], Helicon plasma) for large area source after It is announced that productivity of plasma process depends on plasma density. Among them, Some researchers have been studied on multiple sources In this study, we attempted to determine the possibility of multiple inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and helicon plasma sources for large-area processes. Experiments were performed with the one and two coils to measure plasma and electrical parameters, and a circuit simulation was performed to measure the current at each coil in the 2-coil experiment. Based on the result, we could determine the possibility of multiple ICP sources due to a direct change of impedance due to current and saturation of impedance due to the skin-depth effect. However, a helicon plasma source is difficult to adapt to the multiple sources due to the consistent change of real impedance due to mode transition and the low uniformity of the B-field confinement. As a result, it is expected that ICP can be adapted to multiple source for large-area processes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.96-97
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• 2012

In nitride and oxide film deposition, sputtered metals react with nitrogen or oxygen gas in a vacuum chamber to form metal nitride or oxide films on a substrate. The physical properties of sputtered films (metals, oxides, and nitrides) are strongly influenced by magnetron plasma density during the deposition process. Typical target power densities on the magnetron during the deposition process are ~ (5-30) W/cm2, which gives a relatively low plasma density. The main challenge in reactive sputtering is the ability to generate a stable, arc free discharge at high plasma densities. Arcs occur due to formation of an insulating layer on the target surface caused by the re-deposition effect. One current method of generating an arc free discharge is to use the commercially available Pinnacle Plus+ Pulsed DC plasma generator manufactured by Advanced Energy Inc. This plasma generator uses a positive voltage pulse between negative pulses to attract electrons and discharge the target surface, thus preventing arc formation. However, this method can only generate low density plasma and therefore cannot allow full control of film properties. Also, after long runs ~ (1-3) hours, depends on duty cycle the stability of the reactive process is reduced due to increased probability of arc formation. Between 1995 and 1999, a new way of magnetron sputtering called HIPIMS (highly ionized pulse impulse magnetron sputtering) was developed. The main idea of this approach is to apply short ${\sim}(50-100){\mu}s$ high power pulses with a target power densities during the pulse between ~ (1-3) kW/cm2. These high power pulses generate high-density magnetron plasma that can significantly improve and control film properties. From the beginning, HIPIMS method has been applied to reactive sputtering processes for deposition of conductive and nonconductive films. However, commercially available HIPIMS plasma generators have not been able to create a stable, arc-free discharge in most reactive magnetron sputtering processes. HIPIMS plasma generators have been successfully used in reactive sputtering of nitrides for hard coating applications and for Al2O3 films. But until now there has been no HIPIMS data presented on reactive sputtering in cluster tools for semiconductors and MEMs applications. In this presentation, a new method of generating an arc free discharge for reactive HIPIMS using the new Cyprium plasma generator from Zpulser LLC will be introduced. Data (or evidence) will be presented showing that arc formation in reactive HIPIMS can be controlled without applying a positive voltage pulse between high power pulses. Arc-free reactive HIPIMS processes for sputtering AlN, TiO2, TiN and Si3N4 on the Applied Materials ENDURA 200 mm cluster tool will be presented. A direct comparison of the properties of films sputtered with the Advanced Energy Pinnacle Plus + plasma generator and the Zpulser Cyprium plasma generator will be presented.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.19-23
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• 2003

Extended unbalanced magnetron sputtering system based on the cylindrical magnetron with a rotating cathode was developed. The unbalanced configuration of magnetic field was realized by means of additional lines of permanent magnets, placed along both sides of a 89 mm outer diameter and 600 mm long cylindrical cathode. The performance of the unbalanced magnetron was assessed in terms of the ion current density and the ion-to-atom ratio incident at the substrate. Furthermore, the paper presents the comparison of the internal plasma parameters, such as the electron temperature, electron density, plasma and floating potentials, measured by a Langmuir probe in various positions from the cathode, for conventional and unbalanced constructions of the cylindrical magnetron. The plasma density and ion current density are about 3-5 times higher than those of conventional one, in the unbalanced magnetron in a 0.24 Pa Ar atmosphere with a DC cathode power of 3 kW.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.250.1-250.1
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• 2014

A multicusp ion source has been used widely in negative hydrogen cyclotrons mainly for radioisotope productions. The ion source is designed to have cusp geometries of magnetic field inside plasma chamber, where ions are confining and their mean lifetimes increase. The magnetic confinement produced a number of permanent magnetic poles helps to increase beam currents and reduce the emittance. Therefore optimizing the number of magnets confining more ions and increasing their mean lifetime in plasma has to be investigated in order to improve the performance of the ion source. In this work a numerical simulation of the magnetic flux density from a number of permanent magnets is carried to optimize the cusp geometries producing the highest plasma density, which is clearly indicated along the full-line cusp geometry. The effect of magnetic fields and a number of poles on the plasma structure are investigated by a computing tool. The electron confinement effect becomes stronger and the density increases with increasing the number of poles. On the contrary, the escape of electrons from the loss cone becomes more frequent as the pole number increases [1]. To understand above observation the electron and ion's trajectories along with different cusp geometries are simulated. The simulation has been shown that the optimized numbers of magnets can improve the ion density and uniformity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.213-213
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• 2010

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM), based on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and CMOS, is one of the best semiconductor memories because it can provide nonvolatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage and high storage density. For the realization of high density MRAM, the etching of MTJ stack with good properties is one of a key process. Recently, there has been great interest in the MTJ stack using MgO as barrier layer for its huge room temperature MR ratio. The use of MgO barrier layer will undoubtedly accelerate the development of MTJ stack for MRAM. In this study, high-density plasma reactive ion etching of MgO films was investigated in an inductively coupled plasma of $Cl_2$/Ar gas mixes. The etch rate, etch selectivity and etch profile of this magnetic film were examined on vary gas concentration. As the $Cl_2$ gas concentration increased, the etch rate of MgO monotonously decreased and etch slop was slanted. The effective of etch parameters including coil rf power, dc-bais voltage, and gas pressure on the etch profile of MgO thin film was explored, At high coil rf power, high dc-bais voltage, low gas pressure, the etching of MgO displayed better etch profiles. Finally, the clean and vertical etch sidewall of MgO films was achieved using $Cl_2$/Ar plasma at the optimized etch conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.7 no.s1
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• pp.106-117
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• 1998

Fluorocarbonated-SiO2 films were deposited on p-type Si(100) substrate using FSi$(OC_2H_5)_3$ (FTES), and $O_2$ mixture gases by a helicon plasms source. High density $O_2$/FTES/Ar plasma of ~$10^{12} \textrm{cm}^{-3}$ is obtained at low pressure (<3mTorr) with RF power above 900 W in the helicon plasma source. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is used to study the relation between the relative densities of the radicals and the film properties. The FTES and $O_2$ gases are greatly dissociated at the helicon mode that is launched at the above threshold plasma density. FTIR and XPS spectra shows that the film has Si-F, and C-F bonds during the formation process of the film which may lower the dielectric constant greatly. The relative dielectric constant, leakage current density, and dielectric breakdown voltage are about 2.8, $8\times10^{-9}\textrm{A/cm}^2$, and > 12 MV/cm, respectively.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2004

In this paper we have examined the effect of dust charge density on nonlinear ion acoustic solitary wave which propagates obliquely with respect to the external magnetic field in a dusty plasma. For the dusty charge density below a critical value, the Sagdeev potential $\Psi1(n)$ has a singular point in the region n < 1, where n is the ion number density divided by its equilibrium number density. If there exists a dust charge density over the critical value, the Sagdeev potential becomes a finite function in the region n < 1, which means that there may exist the rarefactive ion acoustic solitary wave. By expanding the Sagdeev potential in the small amplitude limit up to on4 near n=1, we find the solution of ion acoustic solitary wave. Therefore we suggest that the dust charge density plays an important role in generating the rarefactive solitary wave.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2005.07c
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• pp.2421-2423
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• 2005

In this paper, we introduced a LIF measurement method and summarized the theoretical side. When an altered wavelength of laser and electric power, lamp applied electric power, we measured the relative density of the metastable state in mercury after observing a laser induced fluorescence signal of 404.8nm and 546.2nm, and confirmed the horizontal distribution of plasma density in the discharge lamp. The results confirmed the resonance phenomenon regarding the energy level of atoms along a wavelength change, and also confirmed that the largest fluorescent signal in 436nm, and that the density of atoms in 546.2nm $(6^3S_1{\rightarrow }6^3P_2)$ were larger than 404.8nm $(6^3S_1{\rightarrow}6^3P_1)$. According to the increase of lamp applied electric power, plasma density increased, too. When increased with laser electric power, the LIF signal reached a saturation state in more than 2.6mJ. When partial plasma density distribution along a horizontal axis was measured using the laser induced fluorescence method, the density decreased by recombination away from the center.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.857-863
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• 2014

In determining interaction between plasma and electromagnetic wave, plasma frequency and collision frequency are two key parameters. They are derived from electron density and temperature, which vary in an extremely wide range, depending on a plasma generator. Because the parameters are usually unknown, traditional researches have utilized simplified electron density model and constant electron temperature approximation. Introduction of plasma fluid model to electromagnetics is suggested to utilize relatively precise time dependent variables for given generator. Dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) generator is selected due to its simple geometry which allows us to use one dimensional analysis. Time dependent property is analyzed when microwave is launched toward parallel plate DBD plasma. Afterwards, attenuation tendency with the change of electron density and temperature is demonstrated.