Impact of Inhomogeneous Magnetic Fields on Polymer Deposition in Low-Pressure Capacitively Coupled Ar/C₄F₈ Plasma

Magnetized plasmas are widely utilized in semiconductor fabrication due to their high processing efficiency. However, comprehensive studies involved in thin film formation—particularly the influence of magnetic fields on elemental reactions—remain limited. Additionally, using C_xF_y gases for plasma processing presents challenges in understanding the behavior of magnetized plasma. Thus, the effects of inhomogeneous magnetic fields on polymer deposition in low-pressure, magnetized Ar/C₄F₈ plasma were investigated through spatially resolved diagnostics. Introducing inhomogeneous magnetic fields led to notable localized changes, increasing ion, CF₂, and F densities by factors of 2.29, 1.44, and 1.71 times, respectively. These variations resulted in thinner films with lower carbon-to-fluorine ratios. The findings highlight the potential of asymmetric plasma parameter control to modulate film properties locally.