5.3 Plasma Surface Transition: 5.3.1 Plasma Boundary Sheath, Bohm Criterion
5.3 Plasma Surface Transition: 5.3.1 Plasma Boundary Sheath, Bohm Criterion
5.3 Plasma Surface Transition: 5.3.1 Plasma Boundary Sheath, Bohm Criterion
J. Meichsner
potential
VPl
VBohm
Vsurface
presheath
plasma
n+ ne
n+=ne
sheath
n+ne
d sheath
Fig. 5.4. Plasma boundary sheath. Typical potential change in dependence on the
distance from the surface
More in detail, the plasma surface transition is characterised by a presheath and the space charge sheath. Coming from the quasi-neutral plasma
at the potential VP l , a small potential drop over the quasi-neutral pre-sheath
accelerates positive ions to the Bohm velocity.
Potential drop :
Bohm velocity :
Bohm criterion :
1 kB Te
VBohm =
,
2 e
1/2
kB Te
vBohm =
,
mi
mi 2
1
vBohm kB Te .
2
2
(5.21)
(5.22)
(5.23)
In the space charge region the ions will be accelerated and electrons retarded
according their kinetic energy. For an insulating surface the net current in
steady state will be zero:
je + ji = 0 ,
1/2
kB Te
e Vsh
exp
2me
kB Te
1/2
kB Te
; ni0 = ne0 .
ji = e ni0 exp(1/2)
mi
je = e ne0 exp(1/2)
107
(5.24)
,
(5.25)
(5.26)
(5.27)
(5.28)
Typical electron temperature of a few 104 K (few eV) leads to a oating potential Vf l of about 1020 V negative to the plasma potential. Using
Poissons equation and a plane geometry the positive ion current density can
be calculated in the collision free and collision dominated case:
1/2 3/2
Vsh
2e
4
i dsh collision free :
ji = 0
,
9
mi
d2sh
(Child Langmuir)
(5.29)
i dsh
collision dominated :
ji =
V2
9
0 i 3sh .
8
dsh
(5.30)
)
exp
+
(1
)
,
d
2 ex
ex
ex
(5.31)
where ex is the mean free path for charge transfer, L thickness of the cathode
layer, = /(eVc ) the ion energy relative to the maximal ion energy for
collision free transport in the cathode layer ( = 0 . . . 1).
F ( ) =
108
J. Meichsner
Vsheath
Grounded electrode
VPl
Potential in V
VRF
Vsheath
RF-electrode
Vself bias
Fig. 5.5. Simplied potential change with time and resulting sheath voltage at the
rf and grounded electrode. The dierence between the plasma potential VP l and Vrf
respectively ground potential (V = 0) represents the sheath voltage at the powered
and grounded electrode
1
VP P = Vrf 0 ; Vrf = VSB + Vrf 0 sin (t) ;
2
1
= Vf l + (VSB + Vrf 0 ) [1 + sin (t)] .
2
VSB
(5.32)
VP l
(5.33)
The negative self bias voltage results from the fact that no net dc current can
be ow over one rf cycle at capacitive coupling. The electrons can follow the
alternating electric eld and leads to a moving electron front which modulates
the positive space charge region, respectively the voltage and the thickness of
the sheath. Increasing rf voltage amplitude mainly aect the self bias voltage
and have only little inuence on the plasma potential in strong asymmetric
rf discharges. As the result the self bias voltage at the powered electrode
increases with rf voltage, whereas at the grounded electrode no inuence can
be seen. The sheath properties at the grounded electrode are comparable
with a dc plasma sheath.
109
25/4
Ce D
=
3
e Vsh
kB Te
3/4
with
1 Ce
50
27
1/2
.
(5.34)
1050 Vpp
875 Vpp
700 Vpp
525 Vpp
5.0*10 5
Lin. Intensity [ C/ s ]
Lin. Intensity [ C/ s ]
1050 V pp
875 Vpp
700 Vpp
525 Vpp
1*10 6
350 Vpp
2.5*10 5
350 Vpp
5*10 5
*5
*10
175 Vpp
0
0
100
200
300
400
Ion Energy [ eV ]
500
600
0
0
10
15
175 Vpp
20
25
30
Ion Energy [ eV ]
Fig. 5.6. Ion energy distribution function (Ar+ ) at the rf electrode (a) and
grounded electrode (b) (13.56 MHz-discharge in argon at 5 Pa, parameter: peakto-peak voltage [11])
110
J. Meichsner
Probe current I
I
Ion
saturation current
111
III
Electron
saturation current
II
Transition
region
Vfl
VPl
112
J. Meichsner
with f l = (eVf l eVpl )/(kB Te ). The right side of (5.37) includes experimental
data, only. From the determined value P2 ii the dimensionless current ii can
be found in the Sonin-plot, and from (5.36) the ion density.
Transition Region (II)
The electron current increases due to the reduced retarding negative probe
potential in respect to the plasma potential. Therefore, the information about
the EEDF is included in this part of the probe characteristic. Assuming
Maxwellian distribution of the electron energy, the electron current is
Ie = ne e Ap
kB Te
2 me
1/2
eU
exp
kB Te
.
(5.38)
The electron temperature can be calculated from the slop of the semilogarithmic plot according to
Ie
e d
ln
(5.39)
Te =
kB dU
Ie0
and the electron density from the electron current at plasma potential:
Ie (U = 0)
ne =
Ap e
2 me
kB Te
1/2
.
(5.40)
2e
me
1/2
e Ap
1/2
ne (U )
f ()V .
4
(5.41)
with U = V Vpl .
Electron Current Saturation Region (III)
The electron saturation current in the OML case can be described similar to
the ion saturation current. The electron current is expressed by
2
Ie = ne e Ap
kB Te
2 me
1/2
1+
eU
kB Te
1/2
.
(5.42)
dI
dU
fl
dI i
dU
113
sat
Probe current I
I i , fl
I i , fl
dI i
dU
sat
Probe voltage U
The double probe theory was rstly given by Johnson and Malter [15].
The advantage is that the complete probe system is on oating potential, and
it can be applied in electrode-less generated plasmas without a big reference
electrode. The disadvantage is that no information can be obtained about
the complete electron energy distribution function. Taking into calculation a
Maxwellian EEDF the electron temperature is given by:
1
dI
dIi
kB Te
= Ii,f l 2
.
e
dU f l
dU sat
(5.43)
The ion density is obtained similar to the procedure at single probe measurement.
Special Cases, Problems in Probe Diagnostics
The analysis of I/U -characteristics and calculation of plasma parameters is
more complicated because of the inuence by:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.