Properties of inductively coupled plasma source with helical coil

This paper presents modeling and experimental results of the voltage, current, and density profiles of a helical resonator plasma source. The source has a 5/4-wavelength (λ) helical resonator structure with the helical coil short-circuited at one end and open circuited at the other end. When the radio frequency (RF) tap for power feeding was located at an odd multiple of λ/4 from the short-circuited end, the observed voltage, current, and plasma density were higher in the short-circuited section than those in the open-circuited section. The opposite property was observed with the RF tap at an even multiple of λ/4. A microstrip transmission line model was used to explain the experimental results. The model accurately predicted the RF voltage and current profiles. After calculation of RF voltage and current, the plasma density was solved numerically. The difference between the calculated and measured plasma density was within a factor of two. The changes on the density profile indicate that the transport properties of plasma can be adjusted with the RF tap position