Spatial structure of a slot-antenna excited microwave N{sub 2}-Ar plasma source

Journal Article · Thu May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2926551· OSTI ID:21137263

Henriques, J; Tatarova, E; Dias, F M; Ferreira, C M ^[1]

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1. Instituto Superior Tecnico, Instituto de Plasmas e FuSao Nuclear, 1049-001 Lisboa Codex (Portugal)

The spatial structure of a large-scale, slot-antenna excited (2.45 GHz) surface wave plasma source operating in N{sub 2}-Ar mixtures is investigated. A self-consistent theoretical model is developed in the local approximation to investigate the entire spatial structure of the system, including the discharge zone sustained by the field of the TM{sub 140} surface mode and the remote plasma zone. Maxwell's equations and the rate balance equations for the most important excited species--vibrationally and electronically excited states, ions, and N({sup 4}S) atoms--and the electron Boltzmann are consistently solved. The pumping of the higher {nu}th levels of N{sub 2}(X {sup 1}{sigma}{sub g}{sup +},{nu}) molecules is shown to be very effective and to strongly influence the remote plasma kinetics. Collisions of N{sub 2}(X {sup 1}{sigma}{sub g}{sup +},{nu}) molecules with N({sup 4}S) atoms are responsible for the increase in the number densities of electrons and electronically excited states N{sub 2}(A {sup 3}{sigma}{sub u}{sup +},B {sup 3}{pi}{sub g},C {sup 3}{pi}{sub u},a{sup '} {sup 1}{sigma}{sub u}{sup -}) in the 'far' remote plasma zone.

• OSTI ID: 21137263
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 103; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ANTENNAS
APPROXIMATIONS
ARGON
ATOMS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONS
EXCITED STATES
GHZ RANGE 01-100
IONS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
MOLECULES
NITROGEN
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA SURFACE WAVES