2016/02/10 by Edmund Schuengel, Schuengel, Edmund, Steven Brandt +9
Engineering · Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #GaN-based semiconductor devices and materials #Plasma Applications and Diagnostics #Plasma Diagnostics and Applications #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1602.03482
openalex publication_date 2016/02/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The self-excitation of plasma series resonance (PSR) oscillations is a\nprominent feature in the current of low pressure capacitive radio frequency\n(RF) discharges. This resonance leads to high frequency oscillations of the\ncharge in the sheaths and enhances electron heating. Up to now, the phenomenon\nhas only been observed in asymmetric discharges. There, the nonlinearity in the\nvoltage balance, which is necessary for the self-excitation of resonance\noscillations with frequencies above the applied frequencies, is caused\npredominantly by the quadratic contribution to the charge-voltage relation of\nthe plasma sheaths. Using PIC/MCC simulations of single- and multi- frequency\ncapacitive discharges and an equivalent circuit model, we demonstrate that\nother mechanisms such as a cubic contribution to the charge-voltage relation of\nthe plasma sheaths and the time dependent bulk electron plasma frequency can\ncause the self-excitation of PSR oscillations, as well. These mechanisms have\nbeen neglected in previous models, but are important for the theoretical\ndescription of the current in symmetric or weakly asymmetric discharges.\n