Period-doubling bifurcation in a plasma reactor

Journal Article · Mon Jun 08 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Applied Physics Letters; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.106847· OSTI ID:7297242

Miller, P A; Greenberg, K E ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

We describe the response of an industrial plasma reactor to excitation at varying power levels. When the reactor is excited at low power, rf voltage and current waveforms contain components at multiples of the drive frequency (13.56 MHz) due to the plasma's nonlinear impedance. As power is increased, a transition point is reached and the waveforms change. Above the transition power level, signals at the half-harmonic frequency (6.78 MHz) and its multiples are also present, which is indicative of a period-doubling bifurcation. Above and below the bifurcation point, the dc bias and the etch rate behave quite differently.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7297242
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters; (United States), Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters; (United States) Vol. 60:23; ISSN APPLA; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FREQUENCY MIXING
FUNCTIONS
HARMONIC GENERATION
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PLASMA PRODUCTION
POWER INPUT
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
RF SYSTEMS