Charging of dielectric substrate materials during plasma immersion ion implantation

We have investigated the electrostatic charging effects of dielectric substrate materials during plasma immersion ion implantation. The results demonstrate that the time-dependent surface potential (negative) may be reduced in magnitude due to the charging effect of the dielectric surface, leading in turn to a reduction in the energy of the incident ions and a broadening of the implanted ion energy spectrum. The charging effect is greater during the plasma immersion bias pulse rise-time, and the electrostatic potential charging may be as large as 75% of the total applied (pulse) potential. This is due to abundant charge movement both of ions and secondary electrons, and has been confirmed by computer simulation. The plasma sheath capacitance has a small influence on the surface potential, via the bias pulse rise-time. Processing parameters, for example voltage, pulse duration, plasma density, and pulse rise-time, have a critical influence on the charging effects. Short pulse duration, high pulse frequency and low plasma density are beneficial from the viewpoint of maximizing the implantation ion energy. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.