Investigating the effects of electron bounce-cyclotron resonance on plasma dynamics in capacitive discharges operated in the presence of a weak transverse magnetic field

Abstract

Recently, Patil et al. [Phys. Rev. Res. 4, 013059 (2022)] have reported the existence of an enhanced operating regime when a low-pressure (5 mTorr) capacitively coupled discharge (CCP) is driven by a very high radio frequency (60 MHz) source in the presence of a weak external magnetic field applied parallel to its electrodes. Their particle-in-cell simulations show that a significantly higher bulk plasma density and ion flux can be achieved at the electrode when the electron cyclotron frequency equals half of the applied radio frequency for a given fixed voltage. In the present work, we take a detailed look at this phenomenon and further delineate the effect of this “electron bounce-cyclotron resonance (EBCR)” on the electron and ion dynamics of the system. We find that the ionization collision rate and stochastic heating are maximum under resonance condition. The electron energy distribution function also indicates that the population of tail-end electrons is highest for the case where EBCR is maximum. Formation of electric field transients in the bulk plasma region is also seen at lower values of applied magnetic field. Finally, we demonstrate that the EBCR-induced effect is a low-pressure phenomenon and weakens as the neutral gas pressure increases. The potential utility of this effect to advance the operational performance of CCP devices for industrial purposes is discussed.