Process Characterization

To characterize plasma, deposition and etching processes, the OUT e.V. offers a compact multi-functional sensor and measurement services.

This sensor combines three measuring principles at one measuring location and determines the total energy input, the deposition rate and the plasma parameters.

Measurement of total energy input:

o Calorimetry to Gardon
o Backside radiation measurement of the heating of the sensor surface
o External calibration of the absolute energy input Etot with energy (radiation) source or internal calibration of the absolute energy input by means of the process plasma
o Energy flow range: about 5 mW/cm² to 800 mW/cm²
o Potential at the front electrode in the range -100 V to +50 V freely selectable (adjustable ion or electron current)

Measurement of mass occupancy:

o by changing the frequency of a quartz oscillator
o Determination of deposition rate R and current layer thickness d
o Suitable for layer deposition and layer etching
o Use of standard commercial oscillating crystals (ø 14 mm, f₀ = 6 MHz)

Measurement with planar Langmuir probe:

o Measurement of the current-voltage characteristic at the front electrode of the quartz oscillator (voltage range -100 V to +50 V, maximum current 100 mA)
o Determination of the plasma parameters Floating-U_floatand plasma potential U_Plasma, electron temperature T_e and electron n_e and ion density n_i using LabView based evaluation
o The combination with the rate R allows the determination of the energy input per layer-forming particle P_aJ_neutral and the ion to neutral particle ratio j_ion/j_neutral
o Current measurement at fixed potential