Effects of aspect ratio on electron loss mechanisms and plasma uniformity in cylindrical inductively coupled plasma

The aspect ratio (AR) of discharge geometry is an important parameter in view of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source design. AR is defined as the ratio of chamber radius (R) and chamber height (L). The effects of the AR on plasma parameters and uniformity are investigated in a 2 MHz ICP source. The argon discharge is performed in two chambers of AR = 0.72 and 0.35 with different heights, and the effects of AR on electron loss mechanisms are studied using a global model. The results show a tendency for generation of higher density plasma with better uniformity in the case of AR = 0.72 at 0.5–2 Pa. The difference in electron density is caused by the differences in the volume. The observations on plasma uniformity are explained by the study of the electron loss mechanism. The accumulation of electrons is weakened by axial diffusion at the chamber center in the case of AR = 0.72. The difference in plasma uniformity between the two chambers diminishes with the increase in the gas pressure from 0.5 to 2 Pa, which results from the fact that the electron diffusion along the axial direction becomes more difficult. At higher pressures from 5–10 Pa, the ambipolar diffusion loss of electrons to the chamber wall becomes more difficult with the increase in pressure due to frequent collisions. Therefore, the electron accumulation in the discharge center is more evident in the chamber with AR = 0.72, which deteriorates the plasma uniformity. The above study can give a reference to the design of cylindrical ICP sources for practical applications.