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New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications
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New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Plasma Coatings, Surfaces & Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 9387

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ho Jun Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si 13120, Korea
Interests: numerical simulations of process plasma; plasma torches; thermal chemical vapor deposition; particle transport; remote plasma cleaning; molecular dynamics; ab initio calculation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues，

I would like to invite you to submit your work for publication in a Special Issue on “New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications”. The emergence of technologies such as cloud computing, big data, the Internet of Things, and smartphones is generating enormous amounts of data. In the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution, for example, high-end storage devices such as vertical NOT-AND flash memory chips have become essential. In this regard, thin film deposition technology has made substantial progress toward demonstrating its inherent advantages for the development of state-of-the-art devices. Furthermore, plasma deposition technologies such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) have become major process tools because they offer the ability to uniformly grow these films at a high deposition rate. However, plasma deposition involves a complex process, which is not easy to analyze, primarily because the results of this process are sensitively influenced by a large number of input parameters, such as electrical power, modulation of radio frequency, mole fractions of source gases, gas pressure, reactor wall temperature, gas feeding condition, material of the reactor parts, the surface of the electrode, and the gas flow field. Despite the physical and chemical complexities of plasma deposition not being sufficiently resolved, the size of devices continues to shrink, requiring compliance with exact specifications, such as the extremely high uniformity of film characteristics. At the same time, industrial applications additionally demand process repeatability. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to present new advances in plasma deposition and the application thereof based on the fundamental approach through a combination of original research papers, short communications, and review articles from leading research groups.

About the Topics of Interest

In particular, the topics of interest include but are not limited to

  • Fundamental understanding of plasma deposition;
  • Plasma deposition simulation techniques (particle in cell, fluid models, molecular dynamics, ab initio calculations, etc.);
  • Characterization and analysis of plasma deposited films;
  • Industrial applications (reactor modification, artificial intelligence, automatic process control, etc.).

Prof. Dr. Ho Jun Kim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Plasma simulation
  • Molecular dynamics
  • Ab initio calculation
  • Plasma diagnostics
  • Machine learning for plasma deposition
  • Surface analysis
  • Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition
  • Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3228 KiB  
Article
Spectroscopic Analysis of NF3 Plasmas with Oxygen Additive for PECVD Chamber Cleaning
by Surin An and Sang Jeen Hong
Coatings 2023, 13(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13010091 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5932
Abstract
As semiconductors’ device fabrication is highly integrated, the number of the deposition processes is continuously increasing, and the chamber cleaning process becomes essential for deposition equipment to maintain a normal chamber condition. Although the use of NF3 gas for the chamber cleaning [...] Read more.
As semiconductors’ device fabrication is highly integrated, the number of the deposition processes is continuously increasing, and the chamber cleaning process becomes essential for deposition equipment to maintain a normal chamber condition. Although the use of NF3 gas for the chamber cleaning is common, it causes several environmental and safety issues. However, not much research has been performed on NF3 plasma at high pressures, such as in cleaning processes. To understand fluorine in NF3, herein, oxygen was added to N2 and NF3 plasma and then compared. Plasma emission spectra were compared using an OES data, and their analyses were performed via a line-ratio method employing the collisional-radiative model. As a result confirmed that the changes in electron temperature, electron density, and chemical species in the plasma could be explained. Additionally, the characteristics of NF3 plasmas with respect to fluorine were confirmed by comparing the oxygenated N2 plasma and the NF3 plasma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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Graphical abstract

8 pages, 2596 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Characteristics of Inductively Coupled Plasma Nitridation Process
by Jong-Hyeon Shin, Yong-Hyun Kim, Jong-Bae Park, Dae-Chul Kim, Young-Woo Kim, Jong-Sik Kim and Jung-Sik Yoon
Coatings 2022, 12(10), 1372; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12101372 - 20 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1932
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the nitridation of silicon oxide film surfaces using an inductively coupled plasma source. The plasma parameters and nitride film characteristics were measured under various nitrogen gas pressures and radio frequency power levels. Plasma parameters such as electron density, [...] Read more.
In this study, we investigated the nitridation of silicon oxide film surfaces using an inductively coupled plasma source. The plasma parameters and nitride film characteristics were measured under various nitrogen gas pressures and radio frequency power levels. Plasma parameters such as electron density, electron temperature, and ion density were measured and analyzed using several instruments. The nitridation characteristics of the thin films were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The findings provide information on the correlation between nitridation rate and process parameters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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16 pages, 8656 KiB  
Article
Helium Metastable Distributions and Their Effect on the Uniformity of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Depositions in He/SiH4 Capacitively Coupled Plasmas
by Sanghyun Jo, Suik Kang, Kyungjun Lee and Ho Jun Kim
Coatings 2022, 12(9), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12091342 - 15 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2208
Abstract
This study investigates, numerically, the spatial distribution of metastable helium (He*) in He/SiH4 capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) for the purpose of optimizing plasma density distributions. As a first step, we presented the results of a two-dimensional fluid model of He discharges, followed [...] Read more.
This study investigates, numerically, the spatial distribution of metastable helium (He*) in He/SiH4 capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) for the purpose of optimizing plasma density distributions. As a first step, we presented the results of a two-dimensional fluid model of He discharges, followed by those of He/SiH4 discharges to deposit hydrogenated amorphous silicon films, to investigate which factor dominates the coating uniformity. We retained our CCPs in the 300 mm wafer reactor used by the semiconductor industry in the recent past. Selected parameters, such as a sidewall gap (radial distance between the electrode edge and the sidewall), electrical condition of the sidewall, and position of the powered electrode, were considered. In addition, by increasing the gas pressure while varying the sidewall condition, we observed modification of the plasma distributions and, thus, the deposition rate profiles. According to the results, the shift in He* distributions was mainly due to the reduction in the electron mean free path under conditions of gas pressure higher than 100 Pa, as well as local perturbations in the ambipolar electric field due to the finite electrode structure. Small additions of SiH4 largely changed the He* density profile in the midplane of the discharge due to He* quenching. Furthermore, we found that the wide sidewall gap did not improve deposition uniformity against the expectation. This was because the excitation and ionization rate profiles were enhanced and localized only near the bottom electrode edge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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12 pages, 3386 KiB  
Article
Self-Lubricating Pulsed Ion Beam-Assisted PTFE Coating of Titanium in Argon Discharge to Tailor Wear Resistance and Friction
by Shahbaz Khan, ElSayed M. Tag-ElDin, Abdul Majid and Mohammad Alkhedher
Coatings 2022, 12(9), 1300; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12091300 - 5 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1449
Abstract
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ions were deposited on titanium substrate by using a 1.5 kJ Mather plasma focus device in argon, equipped with a PTFE source. The PTFE and argon ions generated during different number of shots of dense plasma focus (DPF) resulted in deposition [...] Read more.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ions were deposited on titanium substrate by using a 1.5 kJ Mather plasma focus device in argon, equipped with a PTFE source. The PTFE and argon ions generated during different number of shots of dense plasma focus (DPF) resulted in deposition of PTFE on the Ti surface. Prepared samples were characterized for structural properties, elemental composition, surface morphology, wear resistance and frictional behavior by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray, scanning electron microscope and pin on disc test, respectively. The area of the coherent X-ray scattering region of PTFE coated on Ti estimated by XRD is 9 nm. Both XRD and SEM show that the area of the coherent X-ray scattering region increases with the increase in the number of focus shots. The EDX results confirmed that the concentration of carbon and fluorine on the Ti substrate increases with the increase in energy of ion flux. Finally, the pin on disc test confirms that PTFE ion plasma coating on the Ti surface reduces the friction up to 35% and enhances wear resistance of the Ti surface up to 89%. The above analysis reflects that PTFE coating shows remarkable tribological behavior with low value of friction coefficient and enhanced value of wear resistance. Moreover, this study provides an intuition for organizing the design of self-lubricating and effective wear-resistant coatings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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18 pages, 6899 KiB  
Article
Implementing Supervised and Unsupervised Deep-Learning Methods to Predict Sputtering Plasma Features, a Step toward Digitizing Sputter Deposition of Thin Films
by Ali Salimian, Evan Haine, Cova Pardo-Sanchez, Abul Hasnath and Hari Upadhyaya
Coatings 2022, 12(7), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12070953 - 5 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2602
Abstract
The spectral emission data from the plasma glow of various sputtering targets containing indium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide were obtained. The plasma was generated at various power and chamber pressures. These spectral data were then converted into two-dimensional arrays by implementing [...] Read more.
The spectral emission data from the plasma glow of various sputtering targets containing indium oxide, zinc oxide, and tin oxide were obtained. The plasma was generated at various power and chamber pressures. These spectral data were then converted into two-dimensional arrays by implementing a basic array-reshaping technique and a more complex procedure utilizing an unsupervised deep-learning technique, known as the self-organizing-maps method. The two-dimensional images obtained from each single-emission spectrum of the plasma mimic an image that can then be used to train a convolutional neural network model capable of predicting certain plasma features, such as impurity levels in the sputtering target, working gas composition, plasma power, and chamber pressure during the machine operation. We show that our single-array-to-2D-array conversion technique, coupled with deep-learning techniques and computer vision, can achieve high predictive accuracy and can, therefore, be fundamental to the construction of a sputtering system’s digital twin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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13 pages, 3647 KiB  
Article
Importance of Dielectric Elements for Attaining Process Uniformity in Capacitively Coupled Plasma Deposition Reactors
by Ho Jun Kim
Coatings 2022, 12(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12040457 - 28 Mar 2022
Viewed by 3085
Abstract
In this study, the effect of dielectric elements on plasma radial uniformity was analyzed for a 300 mm wafer process in a capacitively coupled plasma deposition reactor. Based on a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model, numerical simulations were performed for SiH4/He discharges [...] Read more.
In this study, the effect of dielectric elements on plasma radial uniformity was analyzed for a 300 mm wafer process in a capacitively coupled plasma deposition reactor. Based on a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model, numerical simulations were performed for SiH4/He discharges at 1200 Pa and at the radio frequency of 13.56 MHz. Although in current plasma processes the wafer is often coated with non-conducting films and placed on a ceramic substrate, related materials have not been analyzed. Therefore, the plasma characteristics were studied in depth by changing the wafer material from silicon to quartz, the electrode material from aluminum to aluminum nitride, and the sidewall material from quartz to perfect dielectric. It was demonstrated that dielectric elements with a lower dielectric constant modify the spatial distributions of plasma parameters. In spite of the thinness of the wafer, as the dielectric constant of the wafer decreases, the electric field at the wafer edge becomes weaker owing to the stronger surface-charging effect. This gives rise to the relatively lower density of reactive species such as SiH2+, Si+, He*, and SiH3 near the wafer edge. In addition, radially uniform plasma was induced by the perfect dielectric sidewall, regardless of the dielectric constant of the wafer. This modification occurred because the radial positions of the peak values of the plasma parameters were moved away from the wafer edge. Therefore, the uniform distribution of the plasma density could be largely achieved by the optimal combination of dielectric elements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Plasma Deposition and Its Applications)
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