Handbook of Advanced Plasma Processing Techniques

Handbook of Advanced Plasma Processing Techniques has been written as a single introductory text for plasma processing engineers and researchers. Plasma processing is a rapidly mutating field, so up-to-date material is most welcome. The broad range of topics makes the book useful for companies trying to improve their products, in research laboratories where new techniques are sought, in technological universities, and every time researchers and developers wish to broaden their knowledge of plasmas to lateral areas. After an introduction on the state of the art of plasma material processing, the basic fundamentals of plasma physics are presented in a direct, somewhat simplified, way. This may be useful for beginners, but the expert reader may prefer something more challenging at this point. The chapter on modelling is divided into plasma modelling and reactor design. This second area is further dealt with in a separate chapter. The overview of plasma diagnostic techniques, together with the references quoted therein, gives comprehensive coverage of several diagnostics. Mass spectroscopy is dealt with separately. In the latter two-thirds, the book is focused much more on processes. Dry etching, micromachining, PCVD, ion beam etching and other processes are discussed with respect to many different materials such as silicon, III­V materials and magnetic materials. Particular attention is given to damage and charging. The authors are expert and up to date. It is impossible to cover in a single volume all aspects of plasma processing, but it is reasonable to say that this book, together with all the material referenced within, aspires to this goal. Somewhat more American references, rather than European or Russian, are quoted; this is acceptable for the technological section, but rather incomplete for the sections on fundamental plasma physics and diagnostics. With contributions by several authors, some repetition is unavoidable; this may even help to ensure all chapters are self-consistent. In fact, like any handbook, it is designed more to be consulted than to be read in full. Readers will appreciate the effort of the authors of individual chapters in treating their own work topics and those of the other authors in similar depth. Given the large amount of information provided, the book is reasonably good value for money. Dr B M Annaratone Max-Planck Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik D-85740 Garching