Development and application of a microbeam plasma generator

Abstract

A microbeam plasma was successfully generated by using an originally designed capacitively coupled rf plasma reactor which was composed of a needle cathode (1 mm φ), a cylindrical anode (3 mm φ), and a quartz tubing inserted between the cathode and anode. When the reactor was operated in open air and helium was steadily fed as a discharge gas, a plasma beam (φ<2 mm) blew out into air. Conditions for generating a stable plasma were investigated. Preliminary results are presented on the etching of Si by this beam plasma, as well as an emission analysis of the etching plasma.