Macroscopic modeling of radio-frequency plasma discharges

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.576220· OSTI ID:6167778

Misium, G R; Lichtenberg, A J; Lieberman, M A

We describe a self-consistent model of a symmetric plane parallel rf discharge. The model is built upon basic laws such as conservation of particles and energy, and is capable of predicting rapidly the important discharge parameters from a processing point of view, such as the ion energy and flux to the electrodes. The following physics is incorporated into the model: energy-dependent electron--neutral ionization, excitation and elastic scattering; nonuniform, self-consistent collisionless and collisional rf sheaths; electron Ohmic heating by elastic scattering in the sheaths and bulk plasma stochastic heating by the oscillating fields in the sheaths; electron energy losses to neutrals through collisions and to the electrodes; ambipolar ion diffusion; and total rf power balance. A set of equations describing this dynamics has been obtained and used in a code to simulate different discharges. The model has proven to be useful in comparing the effect of varying parameters on the discharge. Comparisons with experimental results show a good agreement between predicted and measured parameters.

• Research Organization: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and the Electronics Research Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
• OSTI ID: 6167778
• Journal Information: J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A; (United States), Journal Name: J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A; (United States) Vol. 7:3; ISSN JVTAD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHARGE TRANSPORT
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
IONIZATION
LEPTONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
RF SYSTEMS
SIMULATION