Effect of neutral gas heating on the wave magnetic fields of a low pressure 13.56 MHz planar coil inductively coupled argon discharge

Abstract

The axial and radial magnetic field profiles in a 13.56 MHz (radio frequency) laboratory 6 turn planar coil inductively coupled plasma reactor are simulated with the consideration of the effect of neutral gas heating. Spatially resolved electron densities, electron temperatures, and neutral gas temperatures were obtained for simulation using empirically fitted electron density and electron temperature and heuristically determined neutral gas temperature. Comparison between simulated results and measured fields indicates that neutral gas heating plays an important role in determining the skin depth of the magnetic fields.