Modelling of profile effects for inductive helicon plasma sources

Summary form only given, as follows. A computer code for modelling existing and new helicon sources has been developed and results are presented. The Nagoya type-III, helical and Stix coil antennas have been modelled to study and examine plasma density and temperature profile effects on power absorption of a small fraction (n/sub fe//n/sub e//spl ap/5%) of ionizing fast electrons (T/sub e-fast//spl sim/40 eV) and bulk (T/sub e-slow//spl sim/3 eV) electron distributions in an argon gas. The competing effects of collisional and Landau damping heating mechanisms have been investigated, as well as the scaling of the plasma source radius on RF power deposition. The "ANTENA" computer code to study ion cyclotron waves, was modified and used to study and model helicon sources. A collisional model that includes radial density and temperature profiles was added to the code to study the effect of collisions on the heating mechanisms. Detailed studies of the effects of plasma density and temperature radial profiles on radiofrequency wave absorption are considered. The influence of m=0, +1 and higher order modes on the heating profile for different helicon sources is presented. Preliminary studies of the plasma transport between the source and the wafer region are also presented.