Spatial profiles of neutral, ion, and etch uniformity in a large-area high-density plasma reactor

Spatial profiles of neutral density, ion density, and etch rate have been measured in a large-area high-density plasma reactor. Blanket photoresist films on 200 mm wafers are etched by oxygen plasmas in a magnetized inductively coupled plasma reactor. Ion density and relative neutral density are measured by a scanning Langmuir probe and optical probe, respectively. Spatially resolved atomic oxygen density is then measured by optical emission spectroscopy and spatially resolved actinometry. The etch rate is calculated from film thickness measurements taken before and after the wafer is exposed to the oxygen plasma. Ion energy and wafer surface temperature were also measured. The mechanism linking neutral density, ion density, and etching rate is discussed. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.