Diagnostics and experiments on LAPPS

Summary form only given. NRL is developing a new plasma processing reactor called the ´Large Area Plasma Processing System´ with applications to semiconductor processing and other forms of surface modification. The system consists of a planar plasma distribution generated by a magnetically collimated sheet of 2-5 kV, 10 mA/cm/sup 2/ electrons injected into a neutral gas background. This beam ionization process is both efficient at plasma production and readily scalable to large (square meters) area. The use of a beam ionization source largely decouples the plasma production from the reactor chamber. Temporally resolved measurements of the plasma sheet using Langmuir probes, spectrally resolved optical emission, microwave interferometry, and cyclotron harmonic microwave emission will be presented. Results of initial processing tests using an oxygen plasma showing isotropic ashing of a photoresist will be shown. Progress in the development of a DC hot filament cathode will be presented along with the status of the 1 m/sup 2/ UHV chamber for future processing tests.