Effects of input power, gas flow rate and hydrogen concentration on Cu film deposition by a radio frequency driven non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Abstract A radio frequency driven non-thermal atmospheric plasma jet with a copper wire used as precursor is applied for Cu film deposition. The effects of input power, hydrogen concentration ( C H2 ) and gas flow rate on the discharge parameters, and eventually on film deposition rate and its properties are investigated. The results show that, besides the plasma gas temperature ( T g ), the discharge current flowing through the copper wire (I fc ) is also a key parameter for Cu film deposition. With increasing input power, both T g and I fc increase, which both facilitate the increase of film deposition rate, surface roughness and particle size on the film. Higher gas flow rate leads to lower T g , and results in the decrease of the deposition rate, surface roughness and particle size. The influences of C H2 in plasma forming gas on Cu film deposition have dual characters, due to the increase in the T g and decease in the I fc with C H2 increase. When the C H2 is below1.6‰, increasing C H2 has promotion role on the film deposition rate increase and particle size enlargement on the film, and the results reverse as the C H2 is above 1.6‰.