Effects of chamber size on electron bounce-resonance heating and power deposition profile in a finite inductive discharge

Abstract

Effects of chamber size on electron bounce-resonance heating (BRH) and power deposition profile are numerically studied in a finite inductive Ar discharge under a low-pressure range of 0.3–3 Pa. The BRH characterized by a plateau formation in the electron energy probability function (EEPF) exists only at the small chamber radius and relatively low pressure and is enhanced at a larger chamber height. It is attributed to a remarkable increase in the energy diffusion coefficient caused by electron heating at the first bounce resonance condition. As increasing chamber radius and pressure, the enhancement in the energy diffusion coefficient caused by electron–electron collisions tends to Maxwellianize the EEPF, thus resulting in weakness and even disappearance of the BRH. For relatively low pressure, the number of positive and negative power deposition regions increases with increasing chamber radius, and there is no region of negative power deposition at the small chamber radius where the skin depth becomes closer to the chamber radius.