Papers by Keyword: Ultra Large Scale Integrated Technologies

Abstract: Neutral beam etching is proposed as a candidate for reducing plasma-process-induced damage in nanoscale devices. In this paper, neutralization of ion beams due to both gas phase collisions and ion surface interactions based on a PIC (Particle in Cell) simulation of realistic Capacitively Coupled Plasma is presented. It was found that a satisfactory degree of neutralization might be achieved by a combined effect of charge transfer and surface collisions.

Abstract: Neutral beams were proposed for plasma etching in order to reduce damage due to charging. We analyzed the efficiency of neutralization in a system proposed recently where a beam of ions was neutralized in the gas phase and in a set of narrow tubes. We studied surface neutralization as well as collisions of ions in the gas. In the case of collisions of ions with aperture walls, efficiency of neutralization was assumed to be 100%. We also investigated the influence of various parameters such as aperture length, tube diameter and initial ion energy on the efficiency of neutralization using a Monte Carlo code for ion motion simulation. In our calculations we used a well-established set of cross sections for argon.