Properties of a low-pressure inductive RF discharge I: Experiment

Results are presented from experimental studies of low-pressure inductive RF discharges (including those with a capacitive component) employed in plasma technology. It is shown that both the RF power absorbed in the plasma and the electron density depend nonmonotonically on the external magnetic field. Discharge disruptions occurring at critical values of the magnetic field and the spatial redistribution and hysteresis of the plasma parameters were observed when varying the magnetic field and RF generator power. The parameters of the plasma of low-pressure (0.5–5 mTorr) inductive RF discharges were investigated, and the discharge properties related to the redistribution of the RF generator power between the plasma and the discharge external circuit were revealed. The experiments were performed with both conventional unmagnetized inductive plasma sources and plasma sources with a magnetic field.