Wave analysis in microwave-excited plasma reactor using MSP antenna

The structure of waves in a microwave-excited plasma reactor using the multi-slotted planar (MSP) antenna is investigated by experimental measurements and numerical analyses. As a result, it is shown that the radial mode number is fixed and equals to 5 in a wide range of the plasma density, and mode jumps of surface wave hardly appear. Mode jumps of surface wave cause the non-uniformity of the plasma density. Therefore, it is considered that the characteristic in the device is an advantage for controlling plasma parameters.