Microwave plasma modelling in clamshell chemical vapour deposition diamond reactors

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive microwave plasma model for clamshell CVD diamond reactors, integrating electromagnetic, plasma fluid, and heat transfer solutions to understand and optimize spatial growth uniformity.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-step modeling approach that combines electromagnetic, plasma, and thermal analyses to predict growth variations in diamond CVD reactors.

Findings

Shallow sample holders cause non-uniform diamond films.

Taller holders improve homogeneity but may reduce diamond quality.

Electromagnetic focusing influences local growth rates.

Abstract

A microwave plasma model of a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) reactor is presented for understanding spatial heteroepitaxial growth of polycrystalline diamond on Si. This work is based on the TM0(n>1)p clamshell style reactor (Seki Diamond/ASTEX SDS 6K, Carat CTS6U, ARDIS-100 style) whereby a simplified H_2 plasma model is used to show the radial variation in growth rate over small samples with different sample holders. The model uses several steps: an electromagnetic (EM) eigenfrequency solution, a frequency-transient EM/plasma fluid solution and transient a heat transfer solution at low and high microwave power density. Experimental growths provide model validation with characterisation using Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. This work demonstrates that shallow holders result in non-uniform diamond films, with a radial variation akin to the electron density and temperature distribution at the wafer surface. For the same process conditions, greater homogeneity is observed for taller holders, however, if the height is too extreme, the diamond quality reduces. From a modelling perspective, EM solutions are limited but useful for examining electric field focusing at the sample edges, resulting in accelerated diamond growth. For better accuracy, plasma fluid and heat transfer solutions are imperative for modelling spatial growth variation.