Two and Three Dimensional Inductive Coupled Plasma Remote Source Modeling with Single and Gas mixtures with Experimental Validation

The current industrial trend of plasma discharge is to use complex gas mixtures in certain ratios to enhance the reactor efficiency and optimize the process. This numerical study is focused to develop a comprehensive model of Inductively Coupled industrial plasma reactor using complex gas mixture to enhance the reactor efficiency. As a first step, the 2D axisymmetric and 3D models are developed to validate Argon and Oxygen discharge procedures. Mattson’s Suprema XP dual grid reactor has been used for the model development. Commercial modeling software, CFD-ACE+ was used for simulations of inductively coupled plasma reactor (without wafer bias) to address gas flow, heat transfer, plasma chemistry and electromagnetics in a coupled fashion. Experimental measurements are performed in Mattson’s Suprema Asher, a downstream ICP reactor with patterned grounded Faraday shield to reduce electron temperature and ion energy, as well as charge separation conductive grid between the plasma source and heated pedestal to reduce ion concentration on the wafer surface. Retractable Langmuir probe is inserted into plasma source through the special top cap with three openings, defining the vertical axes along which plasma density and electron temperature are repeatedly measured. Model calibration has been performed based on experimental data Both numerical and experimental data are presented in a comparative manner. Using the final model, a close match of result is observed leading to a proper validation. In the next step, we developed 2D models to address the discharge of CF4/H2/O2, CF4/H2/He, H2/O2/HF. The hardware configuration of Mattson’s Suprema HMR with dual grid, and Suprema XP commercial reactors are used to develop the numerical model. Model predictions of plasma, ion and important active species densities, electron temperature, species flux uniformities over the pedestal are reported. This numerical models have been further used to simulate parametric process recipes.