Title :
Non-Joule electron heating in a weakly-collisional inductively coupled plasma
Author :
Kolobov, V.I. ; Lymberopoulos, D.P. ; Economou, Demetre J.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Chem. Eng., Houston Univ., TX, USA
Abstract :
Summary form only given. Low-pressure inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) offer new opportunities for materials processing. The microelectronics industry requires a plasma as free of collisions as possible. The electron heating in a weakly-collisional ICP is a result of complicated nonlocal electron interactions with spatially inhomogeneous electromagnetic fields, reflections from the plasma boundaries and collisions with neutral particles. This heating regime differs essentially from the collisional (Joule) heating which dominates at higher gas pressures. We have studied electron dynamics in a cylindrical ICP for given distributions of the fields. The focus of the present paper is the influence of oscillatory magnetic field and finite dimensions of the plasma on electron dynamics and the heating process.
Keywords :
plasma heating; Joule heating; collisional heating; electron dynamics; low-pressure inductively coupled plasmas; materials processing; microelectronics industry; nonJoule electron heating; nonlocal electron interactions; oscillatory magnetic field; spatially inhomogeneous electromagnetic fields; weakly-collisional inductively coupled plasma; Charge carrier processes; Chemical processes; Electrons; Energy resolution; Heating; Laboratories; Magnetic fields; Microelectronics; Plasma chemistry; Plasma materials processing;
Conference_Titel :
Plasma Science, 1996. IEEE Conference Record - Abstracts., 1996 IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Boston, MA, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3322-5
DOI :
10.1109/PLASMA.1996.550237
