Power absorption corresponding to ion losses in parallel-plate RF discharges

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.106816· OSTI ID:5709161

Sato, A H ^[1]

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1. California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

In this paper a simple model of a symmetric parallel-plate RF discharge is studied to illustrate how such discharges may absorb power from an RF power supply in order to sustain dc power losses corresponding to the steady acceleration of ions through the sheaths. The motions of the sheath boundaries over one period are derived assuming that the current density varies as J{sub 0} sin {omega}t. One finds that the sheath thickness increases discontinuously at one sheath whenever the plasma contacts the opposing electrode. This implies that the external power supply delivers an electron pulse from the electrode at high potential to the electrode at lower potential, so that some power is being absorbed in a pulsed fashion. The power absorbed by the discharge is also calculated for the portions of the RF cycle where the current varies sinusoidally. It is found that power is supplied by the discharge in this phase of the RF cycle, with the energy coming from the deflating sheaths. It is further shown that the sum of the pulsed power absorption and smooth power generation, averaged over one RF period, is equal to the dc ion power losses arising from ions falling through the time-averaged sheath potentials.

• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5709161
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 19:2; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
ENERGY ABSORPTION
PLASMA SHEATH
ION DRIFT
ACCELERATION
ENERGY LOSSES
IONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PARTICLE LOSSES
PLATES
POWER SUPPLIES
PULSES
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
THICKNESS
ABSORPTION
CHARGED PARTICLES
DIMENSIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
LOSSES
426000* - Engineering- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits- (1990-)
990200 - Mathematics & Computers