Gas-phase reactions of SF5, SF2, and SOF with O(3 P): Their significance in plasma processing

Reactions of both SF₅ and SF₂ with O(³ P) and molecular oxygen have been studied at 295 K in a gas flow reactor sampled by a mass spectrometer. For reactions with O(³ P), rate coefficients of (2.0±0.5)×10^–11 cm³ s^–1 and (10.8±2.0)×10^–11 cm³ s^–1 were obtained for SF₅ and SF₂ respectively. The rate coefficients for reactions with O₂ are orders of magnitude lower, with an estimated upper limit of 5×10^–16 cm³ s^–1 for both SF₅ and SF₂. Reaction of SF₂ with O(³ P) leads to the production of SOF which then reacts with O(³ P) with a rate coefficient of (7.9±2.0)×10^–11 cm³ s^–1. Both SO and SO₂ are products in the reaction sequence initiated by reaction between SF₂ and O(³ P). Although considerable uncertainty exists for the heat of formation of SOF, it appears that SO arises only from reaction between SOF and O atoms which is also the source of SO₂. These results are discussed in terms of a reaction scheme proposed earlier to explain processes occurring during the plasma etching of Si in SF₆/O₂ plasmas. A comparison between the results obtained here and those reported earlier for reactions of both CF₃ and CF₂ with O and O₂ shows that there is a marked similarity in the free radical chemistry which occurs in SF₆/O₂ and CF₄/O₂ plasmas.     

Gas-phase reactions in plasmas of SF6 with O2: Reactions of F with SOF2 and SO2 and reactions of O with SOF2

The plasma chemistry of SF₆/O₂ mixtures is particularly complicated because of the large number of possible reactions. Over a wide range of conditions, products including SF₄, SOF₄, SOF₂, and SO₂F₂ can be formed but thre is considerable uncertainty about the major reactions which contribute to the formation of these species. In this work reactions of oxygen atoms with SOF₂ and fluorine atoms with SOF₂ and SO₂ have been studied in order to determine the principal sources of SO₂F₂ in these plasmas. Reactions were studied at 295 K in a gas flow reactor sampled by a mass spectrometer. No reaction could be detected between oxygen atoms and SOF₂, which for the conditions employed, means that the upper limit for the reaction rate coefficient is 1×10^–14 cm³ sec^–1. The reaction of fluorine atoms with SOF₂ was studied with the helium bath gas number density ranging from 3.1×10¹⁶ to 2.0×10¹⁷ cm^–3. Within this range the rate coefficient increased with increasing [He] from (4.1 to 10.8)×10^–14 cm³ sec^–1. SO₂ was found to react with fluorine atoms with a rate coefficient which appeared to be independent of the helium bath gas number density over the range given above. The possibility that this reaction occurred entirely on the walls of the reactor is discussed.     

By-product formation in spark breakdown of SF6/O2 mixtures

The yields of SOF₄, SO₂F₂, SOF₂, and SO₂ have been measured as a function of O₂ content in SF₆/O₂ mixtures, following spark discharges. All experiments were made at a spark energy of 8.7 J/spark, a total pressure of 133 kPa, and for O₂ additions of 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20% to SF₆. Even for the case of no added O₂, trace amounts of O₂ and H₂O result in the formation of the above by-products. However, addition of O₂ significantly increases the yields of SOF₄ and SO₂F₂, while SOF₂ is only slightly affected. The net yields for SOF₄ and SO₂F₂ formation range from 0.18×10^–9 and 0.64×10^–10 mol·J^–1, respectively, at 1% O₂ content to 10.45×10^–9 and 7.15×10^–10 mol·J^–1, respectively, at 20% O₂ content. The mechanism for SOF₄ production appears to involve SF₄, an important initial product of SF₆, as a precursor. Comparison of the SOF₄ and SO₂F₂ yield from spark discharges (arc and corona) shows that the yields from other discharges (arc and corona) shows that the yields can vary by at least three orders of magnitude, depending on the type of discharge and on other discharge parameters.     

Aspects of the chemistry of SF6/O2 plasmas

The production ofSOF ₄ initiated by the reaction of F atoms withSOF ₂ has been studied in a gas-flow reactor at 295 K for helium bath gas number densities in the range (3.0–27.0)×10¹⁶ cm^–3. The effect of O atoms on the formation ofSOF ₄ has been analyzed in terms of the competing reactionsSOF ₃+FSOF₄ andSOF ₃+OSO ₂ F ₂+F. This analysis leads to the conclusion that the rate coefficients for these two processes are equal within an uncertainty of about 50%. Furthermore, both experiment and calculations indicate that the rate coefficient for reactions between F atoms andSOF ₃ is close to its high-pressure limit under the conditions employed. The experiments set a lower limit on this rate coefficient of 5×10^–11 cm³ s^–1, while calculations based on unimolecular rate theory suggest that it may be greater than 1×10^–10 cm³ s^–1. These results make it clear that the two reactions shown above cannot explain the relative abundances ofSOF ₄ andSO ₂ F ₂ which are observed inSF ₆/O ₂ plasmas. This suggests thatSF ₂ is a major precursor in the sequence of reactions following the dissociation ofSF ₆.     

Identification of corona discharge-induced SF6 oxidation mechanisms using SF6/18O2/H2 16O and SF6/16O2/H2 18O gas mixtures

The absolute yields of gaseous oxyfluorides SOF₂, SO₂F₂, and SOF₄ from negative, point-plane corona discharges in pressurized gas mixtures of SF₆ with O₂ and H₂O enriched with¹⁸O₂ and H₂ ¹⁸O have been measured using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The predominant SF₆ oxidation mechanisms have been revealed from a determination of the relative¹⁸O and¹⁶O isotope content of the observed oxyfluoride by-product. The results are consistent with previously proposed production mechanisms and indicate that SOF₂ and SO₂F₂ derive oxygen predominantly from H₂O and O₂, respectively, in slow, gas-phase reactions involving SF₄, SF₃, and SF₂ that occur outside of the discharge region. The species SOF₄ derives oxygen from both H₂O and O₂ through fast reactions in the active discharge region involving free radicals or ions such as OH and O, with SF₅ and SF₄.     

Negative ion formation in compounds relevant to SF6 decomposition in electrical discharges

Dissociative and nondissociative electron attachment in the electron impact energy range 0–14 eV are reported for SOF₂ SOF₄, SO₂F₂, SF₄, SO₂, and SiF₄ compounds which can be formed by electrical discharges in SF₆. The electron energy dependences of the mass-identified negative ions were determined in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The ions studied include F^– and SOF ₂ ^–* from SOF₂; SOF ₃ ^– and F^– from SOF₄; SO₂F ₂ ^–* , SO₂F^–, F ₂ ^– , and F^– from SO₂F₂; SF ₄ ^–* and F^– from SF₄; O^–, SO^–, and S^– from SO₂; and SiF ₃ ^– and F^– from SiF₄. Thermochemical data have been determined from the threshold energies of some of the fragment negative ions. Lifetimes of the anions SOF ₂ ^–* , SO₂F ₂ ^–* , and SF ₄ ^–* are also reported.     

Electron scattering and dissociative attachment by SF6 and its electrical-discharge by-products

Discrete electron-molecule processes relevant to SF₆ etching plasmas are examined. Absolute, total scattering cross sections for 0.2–12-eV electrons on SF₆, SO₂, SOF₂, SO₂F₂, SOF₄, and SF₄, as well as cross sections for negative-ion formation by attachment of electrons, have been measured. These are used to calculate dissociative-attachment rate coefficients as a function ofE/N for SF₆ by-products in SF₆.     

Gas-phase combination reactions of SF4 and SF5 with F in plasmas of SF6

Reactions of both SF₄ and SF₅ with F have been studied at 295 K in a gas-flow reactor sampled by a mass spectrometer. The rate coefficient for the combination reaction of F with SF₄ to produce SF₅ was found to increase from (0.9 to 3.0)×10^–12 cm³ s^–1 when the helium bath gas number density was increased from (2 to 26)×10¹⁶ cm^–3. The values obtained here are three orders of magnitude higher than a recent estimate of the high-pressure value based on the modelling of photochemical studies. The experimental results have been compared with RRKM and master equation calculations in which a simplified Gorin model has been used to determine the structure of the transition state. These calculations show that reasonable agreement can be obtained between the experimental data and the calculation if a small (2 KJ/mol) activation energy is assumed. The rate coefficient for the reaction between SF₅ and F to produce SF₆ was found to be independent of helium bath gas number density within the range given above. The value obtained for the rate coefficient was 9×10^–12 cm³ s^–1 with an uncertainty of a factor of 2. This value is close to that of 1×10^–11 cm³ s^–1 computed from the simplified Gorin model and to the value of 1.7×10^–11 cm³ s^–1 deduced from modelling of photochemical experiments.     

Transfer of F− in the reaction of SF 6 − with SOF4: Implications for SOF4 production in corona discharges

The temperature (T) and electric field-to-gas pressure (E/P) dependences of the rate coefficientk for the reaction SF ₆ ^– +SOF₄SOF ₅ ^– +SF₅ have been measured. ForT<270 K,k approaches a constant of 2.1×10^–9 cm³/s, and for 433>T>270 K,k decreases withT according tok (cm³/s)=0.124 exp [–3.3 lnT(K)]. ForE/Pk has a constant value of about 2.5×10^–10 cm³/s, and for 130 V/cm·torr>E/P>60 V/cm·torr, the rate is approximately given byk (cm³/s)7.0×10^–10 exp (–0.022E/P). The measured rate coefficient is used to estimate the influence of this reaction on SOF₄ production from negative, point-plane, glow-type corona discharges in gas mixtures containing SF₆ and at least trace amounts of O₂ and H₂O. A chemical kinetics model of the ion-drift region in the discharge gap is used to fit experimental data on SOF₄ yields assuming that the SF ₆ ^– +SOF₄ reaction is the predominant SOF₄ loss mechanism. It is found that the contribution of this reaction to SOF₄ destruction falls considerably below the estimated maximum effect assuming that SF ₆ ^– is the predominant charge carrier which reacts only with SOF₄. The results of this analysis suggest that SF ₆ ^– is efficiently deactivated by other reactions, and the influence of SF ₆ ^– +SOF₄ on SOF₄ production is not necessarily more significant than that of other slower secondary processes such as gas-phase hydrolysis.     

Gas-phase reactions of CF3 and CF2 with atomic and molecular fluorine: Their significance in plasma etching

Reaction rate coefficients have been measured at 295 K for both CF₃ and CF₂ with atomic and molecular fluorine. The reaction between CF₃ and F was studied over a gas number density range of (2.4–23)×10¹⁶ cm^–3 with helium as the bath gas. The measured rate coefficient increased from (1.1–1.7)×10^–11 cm³ s^–1 as the gas number density increased over this range. In contrast to this relatively small change in rate coefficient with gas number density, the rate coefficient for CF₂+F increased from (0.4–2.3)×10^–12 cm³ s^–1 as the helium gas number density increased from (3.4–28.4)×10¹⁶ cm^–3. Even for the highest bath gas number density employed, the rate coefficient was still more than an order of magnitude lower than earlier measurements of this coefficient performed at comparable gas number densities.Both these association reactions are examined from the standpoint of the Gorin model for association of radicals and use is made of unimolecular dissociation theory to examine the expected dependence on gas number density. The calculations reveal that CF₃+F can be explained satisfactorily in these terms but CF₂+F is not well described by the simple Gorin model for association.CF₃ was found to react with molecular fluorine with a rate coefficient of (7±2)×10^–14 cm³ s^–1 whereas only an upper limit of 2×10^–15 cm³ s^–1 could be placed on the rate coefficient for the reaction between CF₂ and F₂. The values obtained for this set of reactions mean that the reaction between CF₃ and F will play an important role in plasmas containing CF₄. The high rate coefficient will mean that, under certain conditions, this particular reaction will control the amount of CF₄ consumed. On the other hand, the much lower rate coefficient for reactions between CF₂ and F means that CF₂ will attain much higher concentrations than CF₃ in plasmas where these combination reactions are dominant.     

Mass spectrometric study of SF6-N2 plasma during etching of silicon and tungsten

The reaction products in the SF₆-N₂ mixture rf plasma during reactive ion etching of Si and W have been measured by a mass spectrometric method. Two kinds of cathode materials were used in this work; they were stainless steel for the Si etching, and SiO₂ for the W etching. The main products detected in the etching experiments of Si and W included SF₄, SF₂, SO₂, SOF₂, SOF₄, SO₂F₂, NSF, NF₃, N₂F₄, N_xS_y, NO₂, and SiF₄. In the W etching with the SiO₂ cathode, additional S₂F₂, N₂O, and WF₆ molecules were also obtained. The formation reactions about the novel NSF compound and the sulfur oxyfuorides were discussed.     

Theoretical study of the thermochemistry and the kinetics of the SFxCl (x = 0-5) series

A systematic thermodynamic and kinetic study of the entire SF_xCl (x = 0-5) series has been carried out. High-level quantum chemical composite methods have been employed to derive enthalpy of formation values from calculated atomization and isodesmic energies. The resulting values for the SCl, SFCl, SF₂Cl(C₁), SF₃Cl(C_s), SF₄Cl(C_s) and SF₅Cl molecules are 28.0, −36.0, −64.2, −134.3, −158.2 and −237.1 kcal mol⁻¹. A comparison with previous experimental and theoretical values is presented. Statistical adiabatic channel model/classical trajectory, SACM/CT, calculations of selected complex-forming and recombination reactions of F and Cl atoms with radicals of the series have been performed between 200 and 500 K. The reported rate coefficients span over the normal range of about 6 × 10⁻¹² and 5 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ expected for this type of barrierless reactions.     

Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Studies of Hydrocarbons in RF Plasmas Containing Hexamethyldisiloxane

Tunable infrared diode laser absorption spectroscopy has been used to detect the methyl radical and three stable molecules, CH₄, C₂H₂ and C₂H₆, in radio frequency plasmas (f=13.56 MHz) containing hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO). The methyl radical concentration and the concentration of the stable hydrocarbons, produced in the plasma, have been measured in pure HMDSO discharges and with admixtures of Ar, while discharge power (P=20–200 W), total gas pressure (p=0.08–0.6 mbar), gas mixture and total gas flow rate (=1–10 sccm) were varied. The methyl radical concentration was found to be in the range of 10¹³ molecules cm^-3, while methane and ethane are the dominant hydrocarbons with concentrations of 10¹⁴–10¹⁵ mol cm^-3. Conversion rates to the measured stable hydrocarbons (RC(C_xH_y): 2×10¹²–2×10¹⁶ molecules J^-1 s^-1) could be estimated in dependence on power, flow, mixture and pressure. Under the used experimental conditions a maximum deposition rate of polymer layers of about 400 nm min^-1 has been found.     

Ozone synthesis in charged particle induced noble gas-oxygen and noble gas-oxygen-sulfur hexafluoride discharges

A series of experimental measurements of ozone concentration produced by irradiation of noble gas (He, Ne, and Ar)-O₂ and noble gas-O₂-SF₆ mixtures with energetic (MeV) helium and lithium ions are reported. Continuous irradiations at dose rates of 10¹⁵–10¹⁷ eV cm ^–3 s ^–1 for a few hundred milliseconds were used. The resulting ozone concentration was found to be nonlinear with dose rate for a given irradiation time. This nonlinearity was effectively reduced by an increase in noble gas pressure. Few mole percent addition of SF₆ generally resulted in an increase in the ozone concentration. This increase was highest for lower noble gas pressures and longer irradiation times. Further SF₆ addition, however, caused a reduction in the ozone concentration. Results are explained by considering the relevant reactions responsible for ozone production and loss.     

Kinetics and mechanism in the decomposition of NH3 in a radio-frequency pulse discharge

Studies of time-resolved absorption spectra of transient species in the decomposition of NH₃ by an r.f. pulse discharge together with product analysis showed that the major radical formed was NH at concentrations of the order of 10^–6 mol dm^–3 (10⁵ molec. cm^–3). Possible mechanisms for the formation of the radical during the discharge and its decay following pulse cut-off were tested by computer simulation of the kinetic data. Following zero-order formation with rate coefficient 0.19±0.03 mol dm^–3 s^–1, the decay was second order in NH with rate coefficient 2.1±0.5×10⁹ mol^–1 dm³ s^–1 both for pure NH₃ and where NH₃/rare gas mixtures were investigated. The kinetic data are consistent with NH removal in a nonassociative radical-radical reaction proceeding via a short-lived collision complex, probably 2NH N₂H₂ N₂ + H₂.     

High-pressure range of the recombination O + O2 → O3

The recombination reaction O + O₂ → O₃ was studied by laser flash photolysis of pure O₂ in the pressure range 3–20 atm, and of N₂O? O₂ mixtures in the bath gases Ar, N₂, (CO₂, and SF₆) in the pressure range 3–200 atm. Fall-off curves of the reaction have been derived. Low-pressure rate coefficients were found to agree well with literature data. A high-pressure rate coefficient of k_∞ = (2.8 ± 1.0) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 was obtained by extrapolation.     

Li ion diffusion in Li4Ti5O12 thin film electrode prepared by PVP sol-gel method

Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin films for rechargeable lithium batteries were prepared by a sol-gel method with poly(vinylpyrrolidone). Interfacial properties of lithium insertion into Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin film were examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT). Redox peaks in CV were very sharp even at a fast scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹, indicating that Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ thin film had a fast electrochemical response, and that an apparent chemical diffusion coefficient of Li⁺ ion was estimated to be 6.8×10⁻¹¹ cm² s⁻¹ from a dependence of peak current on sweep rates. From EIS, it can be seen that Li⁺ ions become more mobile at 1.55 V vs. Li/Li⁺, corresponding to a two-phase region, and the chemical diffusion coefficients of Li⁺ ion ranged from 10⁻¹⁰ to 10⁻¹² cm² s⁻¹ at various potentials. The chemical diffusion coefficients of Li⁺ ion in Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ were also estimated from PITT. They were in a range of 10⁻¹¹-10⁻¹² cm² s⁻¹.     

Preparation of BaCe0.8Gd0.2O3−δ by the citrate method and its application in the synthesis of ammonia at atmospheric pressure

BaCe_0.8Gd_0.2O_3– is a kind of high-temperature proton conductor. A precursor of BaCe_0.8Gd_0.2O_3– solid electrolyte was synthesized by the citrate method and characterized by thermal analysis (thermogravimetric analysis–differential thermal analysis), X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Using the sintered samples as a solid electrolyte and silver–palladium alloy as electrodes, we synthesized ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen at atmospheric pressure in the solid-state proton-conducting-cell reactor. The rate of evolution of ammonia was up to 3.09×10^–9 mol s^–1 cm^–2.     

The PVT properties of concentrated aqueous electrolytes. IV. Changes in the compressibilities of mixing the major sea salts at 25°C

The speed of sound of mixtures of the six possible combinations of the major sea salt ions (Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^–, and SO ₄ ^2– ) have been determined at I=3.0 and at 25°C. The results have been used to determine the changes in the adiabatic compressibility of mixing K_m the major sea salts. The values of K_m have been fit to the equation K_m=y₂y₃I²[k₀+k₁(1-2y₃)] where y_i is the ionic strength fraction of solute i, k₀ and k₁ are parameters related to the interactions of like-charged ions. The Young cross-square rule is obeyed to within ±0.04×10^–6 cm³-kg^–1-bar^–1. A linear correlation was found between the compressibility k₀ and volume v₀ interaction parameters (10⁴k₀=–0.24+3.999 v₀, s=0.15) in agreement with out earlier findings. Estimates of the sound speeds for the cross square mixtures (NaCl+MgSO₄ and MgCl₂+Na₂SO₄) were made using the equations of Reilly and Wood. The estimated sound speeds were found to agree on the average with the measured values to ±0.36 m-sec^–1.     

On the chemical resolution of the 87Rb+ (s0)/87Sr+ (s1) isobaric interference: a kinetic search for an optimum reagent

Room-temperature reactions of the atomic cations Sr⁺ and Rb⁺ have been surveyed systematically with a variety of gases using an Inductively-Coupled Plasma/Selected-Ion Flow Tube (ICP/SIFT) tandem mass spectrometer. Rate coefficients and product distributions have been measured in He buffer gas at 0.35 Torr and 295 K for reactions of Sr⁺ and Rb⁺ with CH₃F, CH₃Cl, N₂O, CO₂, CS₂, SF₆, D₂O and NH₃. Rb⁺ (s⁰) is seen to be quite inert with these molecules and reacts either slowly by molecule addition or not at all, while Sr⁺ (s¹) is much more reactive with all these 8 molecules, especially with CH₃F, CH₃Cl, N₂O and SF₆. Sr⁺ reacts with CH₃F and SF₆ by F-atom transfer, with CH₃Cl by Cl-atom transfer and with N₂O by O-atom transfer, and the reaction rate coefficients are all quite high, k ≥ 1.4 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecules⁻¹ s⁻¹. The extreme differences in reactivity with CH₃F, SF₆, CH₃Cl and N₂O provide a chemical basis for the separation of isobaric interferences of ⁸⁷Rb⁺ and ⁸⁷Sr⁺ often encountered in ICP-MS. Among these four molecules, SF₆ exhibits the largest difference in reactivity, almost a factor of 10⁴, and so is identified as the kinetically recommended reagent for the chemical resolution of the isobaric interference of ⁸⁷Rb⁺ and ⁸⁷Sr⁺.