Langmuir probe studies of a helicon plasma system

A commercial Trikon Technologies, Inc. Pinnacle 8000 helicon source plasma system for semiconductor etching was characterized with a radio frequency compensated Langmuir probe. The plasma parameters, including electron temperature, ion and electron density were measured with changes in the process conditions. The coil current ratios for constant magnetic fields were varied to demonstrate flexibility to form uniform ion current densities in the plasma. The electron energy distribution functions were measured and indicate a two-temperature plasma near the wafer surface.