Kinetic modeling of E-to-H mode transition in inductively coupled hydrogen plasmas

K. Nishida, S. Mattei, S. Mochizuki, J. Lettry, A. Hatayama

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10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Radio Frequency (RF) Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICPs) are widely known for their two discharge modes, i.e., H-mode and E-mode, where the dynamics of the plasmas are completely different from each other. We have performed a kinetic simulation of a hydrogen plasma discharge in order to clarify the discharge mechanism and the E-to-H transition of the RF ICPs. The numerical simulation results, such as the time variations of spatial distribution of electron density and the power dissipated in the plasma, show the characteristic changes of the plasma dynamics due to E-to-H mode transition. Especially, the drastic change during the mode transition has been observed in the time evolution of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF). The EEDF deviates from a Maxwellian distribution before/after the transition and the deviation is more significant in the E-mode phase. These results indicate the importance of kinetic modeling for the physical understanding of E-to-H transition.

Original languageEnglish
Article number233302
JournalJournal of Applied Physics
Volume119
Issue number23
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016 Jun 21

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physics and Astronomy(all)

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