The bounce resonance heating of low-energy electrons in capacitively coupled discharges

Abstract

Low-energy electrons are confined in the bulk plasma by the ambipolar potential and are typically heated inefficiently due to their low collisionality and the weak rf electric field present in the bulk when their mean-free path is much larger than the system length in capacitively coupled discharges. It is shown in this study, however, that electrons in the bulk that bounce inside the electrostatic potential well with a frequency equal to the rf excitation frequency are efficiently heated by coherent interaction with the rf field. This resonant heating manifests itself as a plateau in the electron energy probability function and is observed in a wide range of pressures from 25 mTorr to 1 Torr while decreasing the gap distance. The weak transverse magnetic field significantly influences the bounce frequency of the low-energy electrons. As a result, the electrons not in the resonant condition in the absence of a magnetic field can be led to satisfy the resonant condition, becoming effectively heated in the presence of a weak transverse magnetic field.