Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 11: Metal & Semiconductor substrates: Adsorption and reaction of small molecules II

O 11.7: Talk

Monday, March 9, 2026, 16:30–16:45, HSZ/0401

When plasma meets surfaces - Nitrogen plasma-induced surface transformations on copper — •Ester Perez Penco and Roland Bliem — ARCNL, Amsterdam , The Netherlands

Inside EUVL setups, materials are exposed to challenging conditions, most importantly a plasma generated by the interaction of EUV radiation with the main background gas, hydrogen, and trace elements such as nitrogen. The reactive nature of plasma environments causes even trace gases to significantly influence material properties and affect the condition of surfaces. Copper is widely used in semiconductor technology, including applications as functional parts of the latest generation of chip manufacturing tools using extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL), therefore, it is relevant to study its behaviour in such reactive environment.

In this surface science study, we investigate the interaction of plasma-activated nitrogen with Cu(111) surfaces using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). By systematically comparing the effects of molecular nitrogen, neutral atoms, ions, and nitrogen plasma, we provide detailed insights into how individual plasma species modify the copper surface. Our findings reveal that while radicals modify the very surface layer, higher energy species are required to induce structural disorder and incorporate into deeper layers. The results presented in this study aid in the prediction of plasma-induced changes and the role of trace elements in the EUVL environment.

Keywords: Plasma; Nitrogen; Copper; EUVL; Surface