Plasma Processing Xiii

Pattern transfer by dry etching and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor de position are two of the cornerstone techniques for modern integrated cir cuit fabrication. The success of these methods has also sparked interest in their application to other techniques, such as surface-micromachined sen sors, read/write heads for data storage and magnetic random access memory (MRAM). The extremely complex chemistry and physics of plasmas and their interactions with the exposed surfaces of semiconductors and other materi als is often overlooked at the manufacturing stage. In this case, the process is optimized by an informed "trial-and-error" approach which relies heavily on design-of-experiment techniques and the intuition of the process engineer. The need for regular cleaning of plasma reactors to remove built-up reaction or precursor gas products adds an extra degree of complexity because the interaction of the reactive species in the plasma with the reactor walls can also have a strong effect on the number of these species available for etching or deposition. Since the microelectronics industry depends on having high process yields at each step of the fabrication process, it is imperative that a full understanding of plasma etching and deposition techniques be achieved.

Plasma processing of materials is a critical technology to several of the largest manufacturing industries in the worldâ€"electronics, aerospace, automotive, steel, biomedical, and toxic waste management. This book describes the relationship between plasma processes and the many industrial applications, examines in detail plasma processing in the electronics industry, highlights the scientific foundation underlying this technology, and discusses education issues in this multidisciplinary field. The committee recommends a coordinated, focused, and well-funded research program in this area that involves the university, federal laboratory, and industrial sectors of the community. It also points out that because plasma processing is an integral part of the infrastructure of so many American industries, it is important for both the economy and the national security that America maintain a strong leadership role in this technology.

Plasma Processing of Semiconductors contains 28 contributions from 18 experts and covers plasma etching, plasma deposition, plasma-surface interactions, numerical modelling, plasma diagnostics, less conventional processing applications of plasmas, and industrial applications. Audience: Coverage ranges from introductory to state of the art, thus the book is suitable for graduate-level students seeking an introduction to the field as well as established workers wishing to broaden or update their knowledge.

An understanding of the processes involved in the basic and applied physics and chemistry of the interaction of plasmas with materials is vital to the evolution of technologies such as those relevant to microelectronics, fusion and space. The subjects dealt with in the book include: the physics and chemistry of plasmas, plasma diagnostics, physical sputtering and chemical etching, plasma assisted deposition of thin films, ion and electron bombardment, and plasma processing of inorganic and polymeric materials. The book represents a concentration of a substantial amount of knowledge acquired in this area - knowledge which was hitherto widely scattered throughout the literature - and thus establishes a baseline reference work for both established and tyro research workers.