Electron velocity distributions in an inductively coupled plasma

Author

Kushner, Mark J. ; Vasenkov, Alex V.

Author_Institution

Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA, USA

Volume

33

Issue

2

fYear

2005

fDate

4/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

388

Lastpage

389

Abstract

The electron velocity distribution (EVD) in low pressure inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs) is heavily influenced by nonlinear Lorentz forces which are most significant at low pressures and low-excitation frequencies. In this paper, images of the EVD in an ICP sustained in argon are discussed. Within the electromagnetic skin depth, the EVD is highly elongated in the axial and azimuthal directions. This anisotropy dissipates as the electron swarm crosses the plasma.

Keywords

argon; plasma collision processes; plasma nonlinear processes; plasma simulation; plasma transport processes; Ar; argon; axial elongation; azimuthal elongation; electromagnetic skin depth; electron swarm; electron velocity distributions; low pressure inductively coupled plasma; low-excitation frequencies; nonlinear Lorentz forces; Acceleration; Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Electrons; Frequency; Plasma applications; Plasma density; Plasma materials processing; Plasma simulation; Plasma sources; Skin; Anomalous skin depth; Monte Carlo; electron velocity distribution; inductively coupled plasma; plasma simulation;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0093-3813

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TPS.2005.845904

Filename

1420490