Collisionless Bounce Resonance Heating in Dual-Frequency Capacitively Coupled Plasmas

Abstract

We present the experimental evidence of the collisionless electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in low-pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas. In capacitively coupled plasmas at low pressures when the discharge frequency and gap satisfy a certain resonant condition, the high energy beamlike electrons can be generated by fast sheath expansion, and heated by the two sheaths coherently, thus the BRH occurs. By using a combined measurement of a floating double probe and optical emission spectroscopy, we demonstrate the effect of BRH on plasma properties, such as plasma density and light emission, especially in dual-frequency discharges.

Variation of the electron energy distribution with He dilution in an inductively coupled argon discharge

“…[1][2][3] Much work on experimental and theoretical approaches for the EED and related electron heating mechanisms has been done. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Godyak et al measured EED in capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) (Ref. 4) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) (Ref.…”

Striations in electronegative capacitively coupled radio-frequency plasmas: Effects of the pressure, voltage, and electrode gap

“…For example, the electron power absorption mode of the plasma determines the electron energy distribution function that has a direct effect on the gas-phase chemical reactions, e.g., ionization, excitation, dissociative attachment processes, etc. These microscopic processes ultimately determine the concentrations and spatial distributions of charged species and radicals [17][18][19][20][21][22]. As to the ion dynamics, the acceleration and collisionality of various ionic species within the sheath region defines their energy distribution functions at the substrates, which play a key role in the interaction of the plasma with material surfaces [23][24][25][26][27].…”

Collisionless electron heating by radio frequency bias in low gas pressure inductive discharge

“…Studies on the electron heating in the dual frequency CCP have been actively investigated. [21][22][23][24] Up to now, however, there have been few experimental and analytical studies on frequency coupling or collisionless electron heating in the ICP with RF bias, even though this RF discharge system, called an ion enhanced etching reactor, has been widely used in various industrial etching processes and laboratory plasma research since the 1960s.…”