Simulation of an Inductive Discharge in Argon with the Gas Flow and Inhomogeneous Gas Temperature

Abstract

With the purpose to create new methods for monitoring the parameters of low-temperature nonequilibrium plasma, a numerical drift-diffusion model of an inductive RF discharge in argon is developed and a study is made of ion transport onto the surface of the processed material. The model was tested against the available experimental and theoretical data. The calculations were performed for an inductive discharge in argon with parameters typical of modern plasmachemical reactors (a frequency of 13.56 MHz and a gas pressure in the chamber of 10 mTorr). The plasma density, electron temperature, and ion flux onto the processed surface are calculated; the gas temperature is found as a function of the input RF power; and the discharge parameters are determined as functions of the gas flow rate.