Plasma density enhancement effect in radio-frequency hollow electrode discharge

Abstract

The plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes in capacitively coupled radio-frequency (RF) discharges is investigated by a two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) model. Results show that the existence of plasma inside the cavity at the hollow electrode sheath fully collapsed phase is an essential condition for the plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes. In addition, the existence of the electron density peak at the orifice generated via the hollow cathode effect (HCE), which plays an important role in the density enhancement. It is also found that the radial plasma bulk width at the orifice affects the magnitude of the density enhancement, and narrow radial plasma bulk width at the orifice is not beneficial to obtain high-density plasma outside hollow electrodes. Higher electron density at the orifice, combined with larger radial plasma bulk width at the orifice, causes higher electron density outside hollow electrodes. The results also imply that the HCE strength inside the cavity cannot be determined by the magnitude of the electron density outside hollow electrodes.