SERIES RESONANCE SUSTAINED PLASMAS IN A METAL-BOUND PLASMA SLAB

The characteristics of series resonance sustained argon plasmas are me asured by particle-in-cell Monte Carlo simulation and analysed with va rious theoretical models. These measurements include discharge gap imp edance which is shown to be nearly pure resistive, EEPFs, electron hea ting profiles, electric field structure and electron density profiles over a range of applied frequencies (110-470 MHz) and neutral gas pres sures (2-300 mTorr). The scaling laws, which predict the density and s heath width dependence on operating frequency as omega(rf)(3) and omeg a(rf)(-1) respectively, are verified. These resonant discharges are dr iven with low applied voltages (similar to T-e) and are shown to produ ce low-voltage plasmas. A heating mode transition between a high-press ure collisional regime and a low-pressure collisionless regime is disc ussed. Also the self-tuning of the discharges, needed to maintain reso nance, is explained.