Control of reactive plasmas in a multicusp plasma source equipped with a movable magnetic filter

With the use of both a movable magnetic filter and a plasma grid, plasma parameters (H2-CH4 or Ar-CH4 plasmas) are spatially well controlled. At any filter position, plasma parameters change steeply across the magnetic filter. Then, a plasma source is divided into the two parts, i.e., the source plasma region (high density plasma with energetic electrons) and the diffused plasma region (low density and low-temperature plasma without energetic electrons). Plasma parameters in the diffused plasma are well controlled by changing the plasma grid potential. The role of the magnetic filter (i.e., preferential reflection of energetic electrons) is well clarified by computer simulation. The relation between plasma parameters and some species of neutral radicals is also briefly discussed