Reactive plasma characterization

Reactive plasmas are generally characterized as plasmas in which component polyatomic molecules have an important role. Information and ideas, as well as experimental techniques in physical chemistry, particularly in reaction dynamics and kinetics studies, are greatly needed to control the essential features of atomic and molecular processes in reactive plasmas and thus to obtain desired products of reactive-plasma processing such as chemical-vapor deposition (CVD) and etching (Hatano, 1991). 

Surface characterization by XPS, Auger spectroscopy and SEM of GaAs after reactive ion etching of the GeMoW contact in a radio frequency SF6/02 plasma has led the first evidence for GaOF as a layer on GaAs [13]. 

The firm theoretical understanding of the spectra of model molecules has been a major impetus to apply the techniques to complex, unknown solid-state structures of technological importance. Characterization of atomic composition, structure, and bonding in the surface and subsurface of practical specimens is the first step. Most studies interpret changes in the core-level spectra in terms of surface-chemical mechanisms involved in, for example, processing conditions, exposure to inert or reactive gas plasmas, chemical reactions, or aggressive service environments. 

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