Characterization of a radio frequency carbon nanotube growth plasma by ultraviolet absorption and optical emission spectroscopy

Radio frequency driven methane/hydrogen plasmas for carbon nanotube growth at pressures between 0.5 and 20 Torr, bias power from 0 to 110 W, and inductive coil power from 0 to 200 W are characterized via optical diagnostics. Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy is used for quantitative determination of CH3 radical density for these systems, giving densities on the order of 1013 cm-3, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the plasma neutral content. Emission data are also analyzed to extract neutral gas temperatures from the H2 spectrum and electron densities and temperatures and approximate atomic H densities in the system. Neutral temperature is estimated between 700 and 1100 K, though the lower electrode is heated to 1273 K. Electron temperature is estimated to be between 2.5 and 3.5 eV in the high-energy (>12 eV) portion of the electron energy distribution, and the data suggest an overall non-Maxwellian distribution of electrons. The dissociation of hydrogen is estimated at around 0.1%. Dependencies on power and pressure are explored, indicating more efficient ionization, dissociation, and electron heating at lower pressure and higher power. The absence of any dependency on coil power suggests the plasma is operating in a noninductive mode for these conditions