Calculation of ion energy distributions from RF plasmas using a simplified kinetic model

Summary form only given. Using an elementary kinetic approach, a procedure has been developed for calculating ion energy distributions (IEDs) from radio frequency Q plasmas. The calculated distributions, which are in the form of histograms, are used to fit experimental argon and CF/sub 3/ IEDs measured in a gaseous electronics conference rf reactor modified to operate in a pulsed inductively coupled mode. Given the average plasma potential profile and its time dependence, the calculation incorporates a number of parameters used in more comprehensive treatments of the problem to determine the shape of the IED. The reverse calculation that determines the average potential profile, given an experimental IED, cannot be uniquely done, but some insights may be gained in some cases if a sufficient number of plasma related parameters are known, e.g., the shape and amplitude of the rf modulation.