Monte Carlo simulation of electron motion in a microwave discharge using circular TM/sub 11/ mode fields at cyclotron resonance

Summary form only given, as follows. Electron behaviour in an electron cyclotron resonance microwave discharge maintained by the TM/sub 11/ mode fields of a cylindrical waveguide has been investigated via a Monte Carlo simulation. Since this discharge has high degree of ionization (>1%), a self-consistent simulation of the plasma dynamics is achieved through the use of the ponderomotive and Grad-B (-/spl mu//spl Delta/,B) forces. Accumulation of negative charges on the boundary surface sets up a sheath whose influence is also taken into account. The time averaged, spatially dependent electron energy distribution (EED) is computed self-consistently by integrating electron trajectories subjected to the microwave fields, the divergent background magnetic field, the space charge field and the sheath field, and taking into account electron-electron collisions and collisions with the neutral hydrogen atoms. Previous work using the TM/sub 01/ mode fields indicates that the EED is characterized by two electron temperatures. The population of the tail increases with decreasing pressure. At low pressures (approximately 0.5 mTorr), the sheath potential is in the order of 100 V and decreases with increasing pressure. Since TM/sub 11/ mode fields have a stronger electron cyclotron resonance effect than TM/sub 01/ mode fields, the present work suggests a pressure range and shows that it is better using circular TM/sub 11/ mode fields for the operation of reactors for diamond-like carbon film deposition.