PRODUCTION AND CONTROL OF LOW-PRESSURE AR AND CF4 PLASMAS USING SURFACE-WAVES

Production and control of surface wave (SW) plasma or low pressures (s imilar to 10 mTorr) were studied using slot antenna excitation. High-d ensity (>10(11) cm(-3)) planar plasmas (with a diameter of 22 cm) were produced in Ar or CF4 gases using slot antenna excitation techniques. On increasing the microwave power or adjusting the tuner, we observed a mode jump from a low-density to an overdense (omega(pe) > omega) SW plasma mode. The observed mode jump is consistent with the results of ,simplified theoretical eigenmode analysis under the assumption of uni form density distribution in the plasma (the two-interface model).