A NOVEL SUSTAINING MECHANISM IN CAPACITIVELY COUPLED RADIO-FREQUENCY PLASMA IN OXYGEN

This study presents numerical evidence regarding a new type of self-su staining mechanism for capacitively-coupled-radiofrequency plasma util izing; a self-consistent relaxation continuum model. The regime's exis tence depends on an electron source, produced by a detachment reaction from negative ions with high density in the bulk plasma, under a syst em that the spatiotemporal total rate of electron attachment is greate r than that of ionization. That is, a novel mechanism differs markedly from previous ones that radiofrequency plasmas are mainly sustained b y the ionization multiplication of low density electrons in a sheath/p lasma boundary. The consequences of this finding are discussed from bo th charge balance and reaction sequence balance in the bulk plasma at 13.56 MHz in oxygen.