Macroscopic modeling of radio-frequency plasma discharges

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Abstract
We describe a self-consistent model of a symmetric plane parallel rf discharge. The model is built upon basic laws such as conservation of particles and energy, and is capable of predicting rapidly the important discharge parameters from a processing point of view, such as the ion energy and flux to the electrodes. The following physics is incorporated into the model: energy-dependent electron–neutral ionization, excitation and elastic scattering; nonuniform, self-consistent collisionless and collisional rf sheaths; electron Ohmic heating by elastic scattering in the sheaths and bulk plasma stochastic heating by the oscillating fields in the sheaths; electron energy losses to neutrals through collisions and to the electrodes; ambipolar ion diffusion; and total rf power balance. A set of equations describing this dynamics has been obtained and used in a code to simulate different discharges. The model has proven to be useful in comparing the effect of varying parameters on the discharge. Comparisons with experimental results show a good agreement between predicted and measured parameters.

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