Effect of electron energy distribution function on power deposition and plasma density in an inductively coupled discharge at very low pressures

A self-consistent one-dimensional model was developed to study the effect of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) on power deposition and plasma density profiles in a planar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in the non-local regime (pressure ≤ 10 mTorr). The model consisted of three modules: (1) an EEDF module to compute the non-Maxwellian EEDF, (2) a non-local electron kinetics module to predict the non-local electron conductivity, radio frequency (RF) current, electric field and power deposition profiles in the non-uniform plasma, and (3) a heavy species transport module to solve for the ion density and velocity profiles as well as the metastable density. Results using the non-Maxwellian EEDF model were compared with predictions using a Maxwellian EEDF, under otherwise identical conditions. The RF electric field, current and power deposition profiles were different, especially at 1 mTorr, for which the electron effective mean-free-path was larger than the skin depth. The plasma density predicted by the Maxwellian EEDF was up to 93% larger for the conditions examined. Thus, the non-Maxwellian EEDF must be accounted for in modelling ICPs at very low pressures.