Retarding field analysis of the time averaged and time resolved ion energy distribution in pulsed plasmas

摘要

Pulsed plasma discharges are commonly used for materials processing. Several types of pulsed plasma reactors exist. Magnetron sputtering devices are commonly used for thin film deposition, where the target and/or substrate are driven with a pulsed direct current bias at frequencies up to 500 kHz. Pulsed radio-frequency discharges are now being developed for processes such as plasma etching. The plasma source and/or substrate bias may be pulsed independently or synchronously in the kHz to 10's of kHz frequency range. Retarding field energy analysis of the time resolved ion energy distribution functions in these types of pulsed plasmas are discussed. Time resolved ion energy distribution measurements, with time resolution of the order of 100ns, are presented for a range of pulsed plasma configurations.