Study for Ar/NF3 plasma chemistries in inductively coupled discharges with global model and experiment

Abstract A global model was developed to investigate the H-mode discharge characteristics of an inductively coupled Ar/NF3 plasma under low-pressure conditions (10–100 mTorr, 500–1000 W, 100 sccm total flow, and 10%–40% NF3 ratio). Experimental validation was performed using an electrostatic cutoff probe, optical emission spectroscopy, and current–voltage probes. The NF3 dissociation rate increases continuously with pressure and is further enhanced by the addition of argon, which provides more electrons for dissociation and ionization. Fluorine atoms are mainly produced through dissociative attachment of NF3, forming F − ions as intermediates. Due to the high intrinsic dissociation rate of NF3, the effect of RF power on F atom generation is minor, while pressure and gas composition effectively control F atom density. The ionization of Ar and Ar(4p) and the dissociative attachment of NF3 and F₂ dominate the electron balance, with their relative importance varying with pressure and gas mixture ratio.