Analytic analysis on asymmetrical micro arcing in high plasma potential RF plasma systems

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We report experimental and analytical results on asymmetrical micro arcing in a RF (radio frequency) plasma. Micro arcing, resulting from high plasma potential, in RF plasma was found to occur only on the grounded electrode for a variety of electrode and surface configurations. The analytic derivation was based on a simple RF time-dependent Child–Langmuir sheath model and electric current continuity. We found that the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the grounded electrode sheath depends on the area ratio of the grounded electrode to the powered electrode. As the area ratio increases, the minimum potential difference across a sheath increases for the grounded electrode but not for the RF powered electrode. We showed that discharge time in micro arcing is more than 100 RF periods; thus the presence of a continuous high electric field in one RF cycle results in micro arcing on the grounded electrode. However, the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the powered electrode sheath is always small so that it prevents micro arcing occurring even though the average sheath voltage can be large. This simple analytic model is consistent with particle-in-cell simulation results.