Real-Time Monitoring of Ion Energy and Ion Flux in Plasma Reactors Using RF Current and Voltage Measurements

Published

October 16, 2008

Author(s)

Mark Sobolewski

Abstract

A non-invasive, non-perturbing method for monitoring ion current and ion kinetic energy that is suitable for use during actual processing in industrial plasma reactors has been developed and validated. The method has been used to monitor the drift in ion current and ion energy that occurs in a radio-frequency (rf) biased inductively coupled plasma reactor as a conductive layer slowly builds up on the dielectric window of the inductive source. Depending on experimental conditions, the deposited layer can have large effects on both ion current and ion energy. The observed drifts in ion energy are explained by three different types of mechanisms: bias voltage effects, sheath impedance effects, and ion transittime effects. These mechanisms, and the monitoring technique itself, arenot limited to the particular experimental conditions of this study;rather, they apply to a wide range of plasmas and reactors.

Citation

Conference Proceedings of the Society of Vacuum Coaters

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

discharge, electrical, ion current, ion energy, ion flux, plasma, process monitoring, radio frequency

Citation

Sobolewski, M. (2008), Real-Time Monitoring of Ion Energy and Ion Flux in Plasma Reactors Using RF Current and Voltage Measurements, Conference Proceedings of the Society of Vacuum Coaters (Accessed October 25, 2025)