Effect of Low Level O₂ Addition to N₂ on Surface Cleaning by Nonequilibrium Atmospheric-Pressure Pulsed Remote Plasma

Abstract

The effect of O2 additions below 0.2% to N2 was investigated for the cleaning of organic contaminants on an indium tin oxide film using a nonequilibrium atmospheric-pressure pulsed plasma. A remarkably high cleaning efficiency was obtained for plasma treatment with additions from 0.025 to 0.1% O2 to N2. The concentration of the ground state oxygen radical [O(3P)] was measured using vacuum UV laser absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the key factor for the surface cleaning was the scission of carbon bonds due to UV emissions, and subsequent oxidation due to O(3P) and ozone.