Film formation from HMDSO: comparison of direct plasma injection with afterglow injection using an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge

The afterglow of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma was used for the film formation from Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) on silicon wafers. The process gas was argon with varying admixtures of HMDSO and oxygen. The silicon wafers were analyzed using white light interferometry and ATR-FTIR to characterize film volume and composition, respectively. The topology of deposited films was compared to a flow model to link the film thickness to flow velocity. Results show that deposition only occurs where flow velocity is low. Maximum film volume was observed at an oxygen admixture of 0.05 vol.%, while oxygen depletion for lower admixtures and plasma quenching at higher oxygen contents reduce the film formation. Additionally, film deposition depends on the residence time in the region where active species promote dissociation and on the density of active species in this region. Afterglow injection of HMDSO yields film deposition comparable to direct plasma injection with respect to volume and composition, eliminating the need of direct plasma treatment and preventing unwanted reactor deposition