Presidential Young Investigators Award

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Molecular gas plasmas are currently widely used in the micreelectronics industry for the deposition and etching of thin solid films. Plasma chemical reactor design is largely empirical at this time because the many processes occurring during deposition and etching are not well understood. These processes include: creating an electric field which accelaerates electrons to very high energies, reaction of these electrons with neutral molecules to create free radicals, and reaction of the free radicals with the solid surfaces on which a new surface is deposited or from which one or more solid layers is removed (etched). This project is aimed at elucidating these mechanisms, the information to be ultimately used in the design of plasma reactors. Dr. Graves has already established an active research program in the area of plasma chemical reactors. He plans to implement the following projects under this grant: (1) Laser ablation of materials is used, for example, for high temperature superconducting film deposition. He plans a combination of laser spectroscopy, optical emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry to detect ablated species and their temperatures. (2) Computer simulation of plasma surface interactions will be used to resolve effects that occur at surfaces exposed to low temperature plasmas. (3) A study of particle formation in fluorocarbon and chlorocarbon plasmas etching silicon and gallium arsenide. (4) Simulation of microwave-sustained and magnetically enhanced plasmas used as a replacement for conventional radio frequency, capacitively coupled plasma reactors. The work will be used to elucidate how and why they show improved etch and deposition characteristics. (5) Study of surface composition and structure in a plasma chamber by using surface analytical tools. This grant is to provide research support for Dr. David B. Graves under the National Science Foundation's Young Investigator Awards Program.