TRANSPORT AND HEATING OF SMALL PARTICLES IN HIGH-DENSITY PLASMA SOURCES

Calculations of the forces experienced by particles in high density pl asma sources such as an electron cyclotron resonance system indicate t hat particles can accelerate in the plasma and travel through sheaths. This is due primarily to the very high ion fluxes in these systems an d relatively low sheath potentials. The net result is less particle tr apping and growth in the plasma compared to conventional plasma source s. The temperature of the particles is calculated from an energy balan ce. The particles heat due to electron-ion recombination on their surf ace, and they cool by radiation and conduction to the neutral gas. Bec ause of the high plasma density and low neutral pressure, the particle s may reach high temperatures (T is similar to 1000 K).