Plasma sheaths driven by radio-frequency voltages occur in contexts ranging from plasma processing to magnetically confined fusion experiments. An analytical understanding of such sheaths is therefore important, both intrinsically and as an element in more elaborate theoretical structures. Radio-frequency sheaths are commonly excited by highly anharmonic waveforms, but no analytical model exists for this general case. We present a mathematically simple sheath model that is in good agreement with earlier models for single frequency excitation, yet can be solved for arbitrary excitation waveforms. As examples, we discuss dual-frequency and pulse-like waveforms. The model employs the ansatz that the time-averaged electron density is a constant fraction of the ion density. In the cases we discuss, the error introduced by this approximation is small, and in general it can be quantified through an internal consistency condition of the model. This simple and accurate model is likely to have wide application.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
21 April 2014
Research Article|
April 21 2014
A radio-frequency sheath model for complex waveforms
M. M. Turner;
M. M. Turner
1
School of Physical Sciences and National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology,
Dublin City University
, Dublin 9, Ireland
Search for other works by this author on:
P. Chabert
P. Chabert
2
Laboratoire de Physique des Plasmas, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie
, Paris XI, 91128 Palaiseau, France
Search for other works by this author on:
Appl. Phys. Lett. 104, 164102 (2014)
Article history
Received:
July 28 2013
Accepted:
April 10 2014
Citation
M. M. Turner, P. Chabert; A radio-frequency sheath model for complex waveforms. Appl. Phys. Lett. 21 April 2014; 104 (16): 164102. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4872172
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign In
You could not be signed in. Please check your credentials and make sure you have an active account and try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionPay-Per-View Access
$40.00
Citing articles via
Related Content
Semianalytical ion current model for radio-frequency driven collisionless sheaths
Journal of Applied Physics (June 2001)
Microcrystalline silicon solar cells deposited using a plasma process excited by tailored voltage waveforms
Appl. Phys. Lett. (March 2012)
Radio frequency sheaths—adjustable waveform model
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A (July 1990)
Separate control of the ion flux and ion energy in capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges using voltage waveform tailoring
Appl. Phys. Lett. (September 2012)
Growth mechanisms study of microcrystalline silicon deposited by SiH4/H2 plasma using tailored voltage waveforms
J. Appl. Phys. (February 2014)