Kinetic simulation of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) sources

Abstract

Summary form only given, as follows. We have developed a new algorithm, the Darwin direct implicit particle-in-cell (DADIPIC) method, for particle simulation of low frequency, non-neutral phenomena in plasmas. One of the difficulties in simulating plasmas lies in the enormous disparity between the fundamental scale lengths of a plasma and the scale lengths of the phenomena of interest. We have chosen to combine two methods, Darwin and direct implicit, to eliminate the constraints c/spl Delta/x//spl Delta/t<1 and /spl omega//sub pe//spl Delta/t<2 on the temporal and spatial discretization of PIC codes. We believe the combination allows the methods to operate better than they have been shown to operate in the past. The code functions in a two dimensional cartesian region and has been implemented with all components of the particle velocities, the E-field, and the B-field. Internal structures, conductors or dielectrics, may be placed in the simulation region, can be set at desired potentials, and driven with specified currents. Plasma processing involves the use of plasmas in the treating of material surfaces for microelectronic and other industries. Inductive reactors excite the plasma with inductive fields. Since electron collisions are a main source of ionization and other chemical reactions in the chamber, the electron velocity distribution has a major impact on the reactor operation. Because the inductive fields cause heating through both resistive and collisionless processes, the distribution need not be Maxwellian. We will show DADIPIC results of collisionless heating in a 2-D idealized reactor.