Course Objectives

• Understand plasmas and their key properties
• Appreciate the special role of the plasma boundary, the sheath, for the processing of materials
• Learn about various methods of plasma generation and plasma classification, including DC, pulsed, RF plasmas, HiPIMS, thermionic, and cathodic arcs
• Learn about some aspects of the underlying physics of plasma diagnostic techniques 

Course Description

Plasmas are used in many high-tech materials processing, including, but not limited to, thin film deposition, etching of semiconductors, and surface engineering of functional materials at various pressures.  Plasmas and their boundaries, sheaths, are systematically introduced.  Basic plasma parameters such as density, temperature, Debye length, plasma frequency, Lamor radius, mean free path, and sheath thickness will be explained.  The underlying physics of plasma generation, and specifically energizing electrons to enable ionizing collisions, will be explained in the framework of elastic and inelastic collisions. We will consider electrode-based discharges such as glow discharges, thermionic and cathodic arcs, and electrode-free discharges, such as inductively coupled radio-frequency (RF), microwave, electron-cyclotron resonance discharges, and laser plasmas.  We will briefly look at how to measure plasmas by an overview of plasma diagnostics methods.

The specific topics covered are:

•    Definition of plasma and key plasma parameters
•    Sheath (the plasma boundary) and its special role for processing materials with plasmas
•    Plasmas in magnetic fields, transport processes
•    Plasma generation by various forms of electrical discharges
•    Plasma applications in etching and film growth
•    Overview of plasma diagnostics

 

Course Materials

Course Notes