The dynamical behavior of the capacitively coupled argon plasma driven by very high frequency

Abstract

The dynamical behavior of the capacitively coupled Ar plasma driven by four frequencies (54, 80, 94 and 100[Formula: see text]MHz) at fixed pressure are simulated by the particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo collisions (PIC/MCC) model based on the electromagnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by plasma current itself. The results show that the electron density, charge density, and electron temperature increase with the frequency increase when radio frequency (RF) power is 40[Formula: see text]W. The electron heating rate and argon ion heating rate near the sheath increase with the frequency increase. The high-energy electron density ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]eV) varies nonlinearly with the frequency increase. The high-energy electron density is highest at 80[Formula: see text]MHz among the four frequencies. The electron density, charge density, and high-energy electron density increase with RF power (30, 45, 60, and 75[Formula: see text]W) increase at 80[Formula: see text]MHz. The electron temperature decreases with RF power increase at 80[Formula: see text]MHz. The electron heating rate and argon ion heating rate near the sheath have no change with RF power increase at 80[Formula: see text]MHz. The electron energy probability distributions (EEPF) show that the number of high-energy electrons ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]eV) is highest at 80[Formula: see text]MHz. The reason may be the electron resonant heating that occurs in the plasma when the electron cyclotron frequency equals source frequency at 80[Formula: see text]MHz. The electron dynamics of capacitively coupled plasma is important for microelectronics etching and membrane deposition.