This research involves a collaborative theoretical and experimental study relevant to microelectronics processing. The results are expected to have significant applications to an important area of technology and to contribute to basic knowledge about fundamental atomic and molecular processes in a plasma environment. The widespread use of plasmas in the dry processing of electronic devices has renewed interest in the chemistry and physics of low pressure, low temperature glow discharges. Anistropic etching can be achieved by a synergism of ion and neutral heterogeneous chemistry. It is of crucial importance to investigate the plasma electric fields and collisional phenomena which govern the anistropy of ion transport and influence the plasma-surface chemistry.
