Pulsed plasma methods in remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Summary form only given. A 2D plasma chemistry simulation has been developed to investigate the selective production of deposition precursors in RPECVD (remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) of silicon compounds. The model includes calculation of the electromagnetic field produced by RF coils, a Monte Carlo simulation of electron transport, advective and diffusive transport of the deposition gases and radicals, and a full accounting of gas phase and surface reactions. Two strategies have been investigated to obtain selective production of deposition precursors. The first uses a pulsed plasma-pulsed gas injection technique. In this method, the plasma is pulsed followed by a pulsed injection of deposition gases. This prevents the injected gases from being uncontrollably dissociated in the plasma zone, and restricts production of radicals to specific excitation transfer reactions. The second strategy attempts to control the capacitive coupling of the plasma, thereby confining the plasma to the upstream zone. Results have been obtained on RPECVD of Si using Ar/H/sub 2/SiH/sub 4/ mixtures and deposition of SiO/sub 2/ using He/O/sub 2//SiH/sub 4/ mixtures.