Determination of electrode/substrate surface temperatures through the solid–liquid transition of metals/eutectics in capacitively coupled radio frequency-plasma chemical vapor deposition reactors

Abstract

In a capacitively coupled radio frequency-plasma chemical vapor deposition reactor, we took pure metals, In, Sn, Bi, and Pb with the melting points ranging from 157 to 327 °C, and the eutectic Al (45 wt. %)/Ge alloy with the eutectic point of 423 °C as the fixed point materials to determine surface temperatures of the electrode and a piece of stainless steel (SLS) plate placed on it. The surface temperatures thus obtained were compared with temperatures detected with a thermocouple mounted within the electrode. An analysis of the obtained results based on a simplified heat transfer model revealed the thermal contact resistance at the specimen-SLS plate interface to be as small as about one sixth that at an interface between two pieces of SLS plate. Criteria for the choice of eutectics as the thermometric fixed-point materials are discussed and some possible candidates usable for this purpose are listed.