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Influence of Active Nitrogen Species on the Nitridation Rate of Sapphire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

A.J. Ptak
Affiliation:
Department of Physics
K.S. Ziemer
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506;
M.R. Millecchia
Affiliation:
Department of Physics
C.D. Stinespring
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506;
T.H. Myers
Affiliation:
Department of Physics [email protected]
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Abstract

The operating regimes of two rf-plasma sources, an Oxford CARS-25 and an EPI Unibulb, have been extensively characterized. By changing the exit aperture configuration and using an electrostatic deflector, the Oxford source could produce either primarily atomic nitrogen, atomic nitrogen mixed with low energy ions, or a large flux of higher energy ions (>65eV) as the active species in a background of neutral molecular nitrogen. The EPI source produced a significant flux of metastable molecular nitrogen as the active species with a smaller atomic nitrogen component. Nitridation of sapphire using each source under the various operating conditions indicate that the reactivity was different for each type of active nitrogen. Boron contamination originating from the pyrolytic boron nitride plasma cell liner was observed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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