Similarity And Scaling Laws For Radio Frequency Discharge Plasmas Across Nonlinear Transition Regimes

Abstract

Comprehensive parameter scaling laws for capacitive radio frequency (rf) discharge plasmas are demonstrated by combining the similarity theory. Plasma parameters, including the electron density, electron power absorption, and electron energy probability functions, scaling with the control parameters, such as the gas pressure p, gap distance d, and driving frequency f, are obtained via fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations. Similar rf plasmas and the transition status between them are achieved with [p,d,f] simultaneously and partially tuned, respectively. Since the similarity properties in rf plasmas are found to be rigorously valid, even with some of the abnormal scaling tendencies discovered. The results of this work suggest a promising strategy to more precisely predict and control rf plasmas which are generally controlled by multiple parameters.