Double layer formation in the expanding region of an inductively coupled electronegative plasma

Abstract

Double-layers (DLs) were observed in the expanding region of an inductively coupled plasma with $\text{Ar}/\text{SF}\_6$ gas mixtures. No DL was observed in pure argon or $\text{SF}\_6$ fractions below few percent. They exist over a wide range of power and pressure although they are only stable for a small window of electronegativity (typically between 8\% and 13\% of $\text{SF}\_6$ at 1mTorr), becoming unstable at higher electronegativity. They seem to be formed at the boundary between the source tube and the diffusion chamber and act as an internal boundary (the amplitude being roughly 1.5$\frac{kT\_e}{e}$)between a high electron density, high electron temperature, low electronegativity plasma upstream (in the source), and a low electron density, low electron temperature, high electronegativity plasma downstream.