ELECTRON ACCELERATION RESONANT WITH SHEATH MOTION IN A LOW-PRESSURE RADIO-FREQUENCY DISCHARGE

A new electron acceleration method in low-pressure radio-frequency (rf ) discharges, leading to high density plasmas, is proposed. Electrons are resonantly accelerated by multiple interactions with a moving rf s heath under a specific magnetic flux density which satisfies the condi tion that twice the electron cyclotron frequency is equal to the rf dr iving frequency. Experimental evidence is presented. This technique mi ght be useful for the generation of low-pressure high density rf plasm as.