A model of radiofrequency and plasma coupling for compact ion sources and design

Abstract

Inductive coupling of radiofrequency power to plasma is a complicate process, since it depends from the density of plasma itself, because ionization is a chain reaction process, and, at low density a capacitive coupling may mix with inductive coupling (with no Faraday screen). Plasma temperature Te , density ne and vector potential are closely coupled, giving nonlinear and singular systems of Partial Differential equations, which require slow iterative solutions, motivating the consideration of a 2D model, also as rapid design and first approximation tool. Plasma conductivity and heating depend on collision rate, which includes also the so-called stochastic collisions (mainly electron collisions with walls), proportionally more important at low gas density ng . Conductivity is also affected by static and radiofrequency magnetic fields; results for skin depth and stochastic collision estimates are reported. The transport of Te and ne inside source can be controlled by a magnetic filter B f . Considering a 5 cm radius H- ion source as example, solution of ne and Te are reported as a function of filter strength B fa, applied rf power and wall status; solver convergence methods and key plasma observables are briefly discussed. Due to small dimension, a filter strength B fa in the order of 8 mT is needed to achieve electron temperature lower than 2 eV (for negative ion production) at extraction.