Infrared absorption of the products formed in distributed electron cyclotron resonance plasmas of hexamethyldisiloxane and tetraethoxysilane

As soon as power is applied, the distributed electron cyclotron resonance (DECR) plasma rapidly dissociates the hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) parent molecules. At low power, the daughter molecules methane, acetylene, and ethylene are observed, but at higher power these molecules are dissociated as well. Starting the DECR plasma in HMDS and TEOS increases the pressure by an order of magnitude. When correctly operated, the DECR plasma fully dissociates the HMDS and TEOS parent molecules into their constituent atoms. At the chamber wall, the H atoms recombine to form molecules, whereas the Si, C, and O atoms stick to the surface and contribute to film deposition.