New physics in radiofrequency plasma sources

Summary form only given, as follows. High-density, low-pressure RF plasma sources are indispensable in the production of high-speed logic circuits for the computer industry and are particularly critical for etching submicron features. Both Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICPs) and helicon sources are capable of producing uniform plasmas over the area of a 200- or 300-mm wafer, but how they do this is not well understood.