The mechanisms of electron heating in low-pressure bounded rf plasmas
are analyzed. These processes are determined by the combined effect of
electron interaction with the rf electric field, reflections from the
walls and collisions. It is shown that when the discharge gap is smal
l with respect to the electron mean-free path the finite size of the p
lasmas is crucial for the stochastic heating. A classification of heat
ing regimes is performed and expressions for the power deposition are
derived. In many cases, even though in a semi-infinite plasma heating
exists, in a bounded plasma the electron motion is regular and there i
s no collisionless heating. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.