Numerical modeling of low-pressure plasmas: applications to electric double layers
Abstract
Inductive plasmas are simulated by using a one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation including Monte Carlo collision techniques (pic/mcc). To model inductive heating, a non-uniform radio-frequency (rf) electric field, perpendicular to the electron motion is included into the classical particle-in-cell scheme. The inductive plasma pic simulation is used to confirm recent experimental results that electric double layers can form in current-free plasmas. These results differ from previous experimental or simulation systems where the double layers are driven by a current or by imposed potential differences. The formation of a super-sonic ion beam, resulting from the ions accelerated through the potential drop of the double layer and predicted by the pic simulation is confirmed with nonperturbative laser-induced fluorescence measurements of ion flow. It is shown that at low pressure, where the electron mean free path is of the order of, or greater than the system length, the electron energy distribution function (eedf) is close to Maxwellian, except for its tail which is depleted at energies higher than the plasma potential. Evidence supporting that this depletion is mostly due to the high-energy electrons escaping to the walls is given. ¶ A new hybrid simulation scheme (particle ions and Boltzmann/particle electrons), accounting for non-Maxwellian eedf and self-consistently simulating low-pressure high-density plasmas at low computational cost is proposed. Results obtained with the “improved” hybrid model are in much better agreement with the full pic simulation than the classical non self-consistent hybrid model. This model is used to simulate electronegative plasmas and to provide evidence supporting the fact that propagating double layers may spontaneously form in electronegative plasmas. It is shown that critical parameters of the simulation were very much aligned with critical parameters of the experiment.