Self-generated stochastic heating in an rf discharge

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5451763

Overview: We have studied the nonlinear dynamics of stochastic heating arising from the reflection of electrons from moving sheaths as an underlying mechanism for electron power deposition in r.f. discharges of the type used in the plasma-assisted processing of materials. During the last year we have concentrated on two aspects of the problem: (1) We have determined the time-varying sheath motion in a plane parallel r.f. discharge using a Langmuir probe technique and compared the measurements to models of the nonlinear sheath motion. We find good agreement (a) to a self-consistent analysis of the sheath motion previously developed (b). (2) We have constructed a helical resonator plasma source which can be used for experimental studies of stochastic heating at low pressures for which the stochasticity is an intrinsic property of the dynamics and is not due to interparticle collisions. We have characterized the plasma density, absorbed power and helix voltage as functions of the input power and pressure (a). We have developed a model of the helical resonator plasma (b) and compared this to the measurements. 7 refs.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-87ER13727
• OSTI ID: 5451763
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/13727-T1; ON: DE91017404
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
DOCUMENT TYPES
DYNAMICS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC PROBES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
LANGMUIR PROBE
MECHANICS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA SHEATH
PROBES
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIATIONS
RF SYSTEMS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES