Plasma ionization in low-pressure radio-frequency discharges: Part II: Particle-in-cell simulation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Plasma ionization in low-pressure radio-frequency discharges

T2 - Part II: Particle-in-cell simulation

AU - Meige, A.

AU - O'Connell, D.

AU - Gans, T.

AU - Boswell, R. W.

PY - 2008/8

Y1 - 2008/8

N2 - Plasma ionization in the low-pressure operation regime (< 5 Pa) of RF capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) is governed by a complex interplay of-various mechanisms, such as field reversal, sheath expansion, and wave-particle interactions. In a previous paper, it was shown that experimental observations in a hydrogen CCP operated at 13.56 MHz are qualitatively well described in a 1-D symmetrical particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. In this paper, a spherical asymmetrical PIC simulation that is closer to the conditions of the highly asymmetrical experimental device is used to simulate a low-pressure neon CCP operated at 2 MHz. The results show a similar behavior, with pronounced ionization through field reversal, sheath expansion, and wave-particle interactions, and can be exploited for more accurate quantitative comparisons with experimental observations.

AB - Plasma ionization in the low-pressure operation regime (< 5 Pa) of RF capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) is governed by a complex interplay of-various mechanisms, such as field reversal, sheath expansion, and wave-particle interactions. In a previous paper, it was shown that experimental observations in a hydrogen CCP operated at 13.56 MHz are qualitatively well described in a 1-D symmetrical particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation. In this paper, a spherical asymmetrical PIC simulation that is closer to the conditions of the highly asymmetrical experimental device is used to simulate a low-pressure neon CCP operated at 2 MHz. The results show a similar behavior, with pronounced ionization through field reversal, sheath expansion, and wave-particle interactions, and can be exploited for more accurate quantitative comparisons with experimental observations.

KW - capacitively coupled plasma (CCP)

KW - field reversal

KW - heating

KW - particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation

KW - RF

KW - wave particle interaction

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=50249112747&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1109/TPS.2008.926833

DO - 10.1109/TPS.2008.926833

M3 - Article

SN - 0093-3813

VL - 36

SP - 1384

EP - 1385

JO - IEEE transactions on plasma science

JF - IEEE transactions on plasma science

IS - 4

ER -