Diagnostics and modelling of a methane plasma used in the chemical vapour deposition of amorphous carbon films
Year: 1984
Type: article
Abstract: In an RF-discharge methane plasma, the dissociation rate of CH4in collisions with electrons has been measured using a laser absorption technique. The measured rate increases as the RF power increases and as the gas pressure decreases. The electron energy distribution function f( epsilon ) and the electron density nehave also been measured by a heated electrical probe. The measured f( epsilon ) is quite different from the Maxwellian distribution and rather close to the Druyvesteynian distribution. The dissociation rate constant deduced from f( epsilon ) and the reported cross-section when multiplied by the measured neis consistent with the results of the laser absorption method. Based on these measurements a modelling of the plasma has been performed using a set of rate equations for CH4and the various neutral and ionic species produced in the plasma. The calculated degree of dissociation for CH4in the plasma agrees well with the measured results. The most abundant neutral radical in the plasma predicted by the model is CH3, while CH5+is the most abundant ionic species.
Institution: Kyoto Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2067979108