Self-Consistent Modeling of the Effect of Wall-Neutral Reactions on Parallel Plate Radio Frequency Discharge Plasma in Pure Hydrogen

A hybrid model (charged particles/neutral fluid) is used in studying the effect of wall-neutral reactions on the charged particle kinetics of parallel plate radio frequency discharge plasmas in pure hydrogen. These effects are due to the strong sensitivity of the H^- production rate to the vibrational distribution function of H₂ molecules. In particular, the effects of heterogeneous H recombination, vibrational deactivation, and recombination to vibrationally excited molecules are studied. Depending on the assumptions on such reactions, the simulated H₂ plasma can behave like an electropositive or an electronegative one, and space distribution of charged particles is consistently affected.