Process control of RF plasma assisted surface cleaning

Steffen, H.; Schwarz, Jan‐Niklas; Kersten, Holger; Behnke, J. F.; Eggs, C.

doi:10.1016/0040-6090(96)08535-5

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In surface technology applications, hydrocarbon films are exposed to low temperature discharges for surface treatment or simply for etching purposes . Ar plasmas are for example extensively used to activate polymer surfaces to enhance their adhesion, or to perform nonreactive etching for lithography or plasma cleaning . The central parameter characterizing the etching efficiency is the sputtering yield, defined as the ratio between flux of atoms ejected from a target and flux of incident ions .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Structure of the Modified Top Layer of Polypropylene During Plasma Treatment

Corbella

Grosse-Kreul

Keudell

2015

Plasma Processes & Polymers

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Plasma modifications of polypropylene (PP) surfaces are analyzed by means of vacuum beam experiments. A plasma source provides Ar ion beams and a background of UV photons. Additionally, neutral oxygen beams are sent to perform reactive sputtering of PP. The etch rate and chemical state are monitored in real time by in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. At the onset of Ar bombardment, PP shows high sputter yields, which decrease down to a constant etch rate indicating the formation of a modified top layer. The stationary top layer is modeled as combination of a pristine fraction plus a cross‐linked fraction of amorphous hydrocarbon. Photon‐ and ion‐dominated etch processes provide different cross‐linking fractions, whereas the sputter efficiency is maximized at intermediate ion energies (200 eV).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Structure of the Modified Top Layer of Polypropylene During Plasma Treatment

Corbella

Grosse-Kreul

Keudell

2015

Plasma Processes & Polymers

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“…Both reducing and oxidizing plasma media were used to remove the organic shell from the as-deposited particle layers through a combination of sputtering, electron-induced reactions, and etching with free radicals. [20] However, it turned out that, due to the chemical nature of the removal process by etching with radicals and reactive ions, a chemical modification of the involved surfaces is inevitable. While the thermal radicals (with temperatures of a few 10 8C at most) react at the particle surface, the plasma-generated ions possess higher kinetic energies, which may enable them to penetrate the upper atomic layers, possibly resulting in implanted subsurface species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structural and Chemical Effects of Plasma Treatment on Close‐Packed Colloidal Nanoparticle Layers

Gehl¹,

Frömsdorf²,

Aleksandrovic³

et al. 2008

Adv Funct Materials

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The interaction of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen plasmas with spin‐coated arrays of colloidal cobalt–platinum particles was investigated with a large variety of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. It could be demonstrated that the organic ligands of the nanoparticles can be completely removed. Yet, due to the short (∼1.6 nm) interparticle distances within the layers, strong degradation and sintering effects are observed after hydrogen and nitrogen plasma treatments. In the case of oxygen plasma, the shape and size of the individual particles are unaffected and can be preserved, even if a short hydrogen plasma is subsequently applied to reduce the particles back to their metallic state. Nevertheless, the mesoscopic order of the particle arrays is slightly decreased as observed by the breakup of larger ordered areas into smaller domains forming island–trench structures. Probing the surface chemistry of the particles with temperature programmed desorption, a rather complex surface chemistry is found to result from the plasma treatments. The first TPD spectrum after the cleaning process with oxygen and subsequent hydrogen plasmas reveals that the particles are loaded with adsorbed and implanted hydrogen. After removal of this hydrogen, subsequent TPD spectra using CO as a probe molecule, show broad signals between 190 and 360 K pointing to nonmetallic surface properties. While the platinum was found to be completely reduced, XPS measurements reveal a remaining fraction of oxidic cobalt species which are enriched at the surface. Thus, although the structure of the close‐packed Co–Pt nanoparticle arrays can be qualitatively preserved during plasma‐based ligand removal, the treatment leads to a complex materials system the chemical properties of which are influenced by the particle components, the substrate, and the plasma media.

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“…increase in the density and energy of charged and excited species, increase of electrons density and temperature, and aids to change the discharge mode from capacitively coupling (E-mode) to inductively coupling (H-mode) [12][13][14][15] . Several authors already observed that when applied power is increased in the treatment of organic material, mass variation rate (MVR) increases as well, but there are important chemical and physical modifications in the treated material that generate difficulties to maintain a considerable etching rate [2][3][4]7,9,16 . In the present work a simple organic molecule, the Stearic Acid, was used as a contaminant model to investigate the influence of the applied RF power to the plasma on the degradation of the treated material, when the temperature is controlled and reactive (Ar-O 2 ) and non-reactive (Ar) gas mixtures are used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of sample temperature and applied power on degradation of stearic acid in inductively coupled radio frequency plasma

et al. 2014

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Plasma cleaning is a promising technology in surface treatments, despite technological interest its use is limited because its mechanisms still are not entirely understood. This work aims to evaluate how the applied power of an inductively coupled RF discharge at 13,56 MHz, with Ar and Ar+10%O 2 atmospheres, affects its capabilities to etch an organic molecule. Mass variation rate was used as direct characterization of degradation process and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was performed to search for residual molecular modifications. Additionally, optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements were performed to monitor the offer of active species in the gaseous volume. In experimental conditions was possible attain mass reduction from sample, with higher mass loss rate when applied power is increased. Material characterization shows the possibility of attain a high etch rate, while no structural modifications were detected, if the temperature is controlled.

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Process control of RF plasma assisted surface cleaning

Cited by 25 publications

References 12 publications

Exploring the Structure of the Modified Top Layer of Polypropylene During Plasma Treatment

Exploring the Structure of the Modified Top Layer of Polypropylene During Plasma Treatment

Structural and Chemical Effects of Plasma Treatment on Close‐Packed Colloidal Nanoparticle Layers

Evaluation of sample temperature and applied power on degradation of stearic acid in inductively coupled radio frequency plasma

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