Maintenance and improved operation of a high-density etching reactor intended for fundamental studies and applications to photonic materials

所要求的设备对于我继续进行用于先进光子材料纳米图案的高密度等离子体的研究项目是必不可少的。为了应对这一领域目前面临的挑战，我提出了一个基于真正科学基础的研究计划。我的目标是使用我现有的台式高密度等离子体反应器，通过重点研究光子应用中直接感兴趣的材料，特别是VO2、LaSrMnO_3和LiNbO_3，来研究等离子体刻蚀光子材料中的关键问题。进行这项研究的关键需求之一是获得一个限制磁场，允许在适合于许多材料的蚀刻的非常低的压力下操作，同时保持足够的等离子体密度。这个磁场是由一组由直流大电流电源供电的电磁线圈产生的，这些线圈需要紧急更换以防止故障。另一个关键的需求是光谱仪能够提供足够的光谱分辨率，以便从氮气、氢氧基或氰基的各种分子带的旋转结构中测量气体温度。这种测量对于更好地了解与刻蚀特性相关的放电动力学是至关重要的。这台设备不仅对我自己的研究发展至关重要，而且对参与等离子刻蚀的学生(即3名博士和1名理学硕士学生)以及我的各个合作者的培训也是至关重要的。

The equipment requested is essential for pursuing my research program on high-density plasmas for nanometer patterning of advanced photonic materials. For addressing the present challenges facing this field, I have proposed a research program based on a truly scientific foundation. My goal is to investigate critical issues in plasma etching of photonic materials using my existing bench test high-density plasma reactor by putting the emphasis on materials of immediate interest for photonic applications, in particular VO2, LaSrMnO3 and LiNbO3. One of the crucial needs for pursuing this research is the availability of a confinement magnetic field that allows maintaining a sufficient plasma density while operating at the very low pressure appropriate for the etching of many materials. This field is generated by a set of electromagnetic coils powered by a DC high-current power supply that need to be urgently replaced to prevent failure. The other crucial need is a spectrometer able to provide sufficient spectral resolution in order to measure the gas temperature from the rotational structure of various molecular bands of either nitrogen, OH or CN. Such measurements are crucial to achieve a better understanding of the discharge dynamics in correlation with the etching characteristics. This equipment is critically important not only for the development of my own research, but also for the training of the students involved in plasma etching, namely 3 Ph.D and 1 M.Sc students, as well as those of my various collaborators.