Non-equilibrium radial and axial transport in RF glow discharges

Abstract

For the first time, a self-consistent two-dimensional model of RF glow discharges between two parallel plates, assuming a cylindrically symmetric geometry, is simulated by using a Monte Carlo model for electrons and a non-equilibrium fluid model for ions. This simulation is reported in the communication. By considering the evolutions of the charged particles in both the radial and axial directions in a self-consistent manner, the non-equilibrium multidimensional transport phenomenon in RF glow discharges has been investigated. The time-averaged electron densities, ion densities, ionization rate and electric fields in both axial and radial directions in (r,z) space are sketched to present the radial-axial flow dynamics of charged particles. More importantly, significant differences have been observed: the axial-sheath width is smaller and both the electron mean energy and the ionization rate are higher inside the plasma bulk in the two-dimensional model than in the one-dimensional model.