Power measurement analysis of moderate pressure capacitively coupled discharges

This study examines the transition of 13.56 MHz, capacitively coupled plasmas (CCP) from low to intermediate pressure regimes. Here, we investigate power deposition/plasma production in argon, nitrogen, and oxygen discharges as a function of pressure. These three feed gases were chosen as they provide a set of electropositive and electronegative gases and they are widely discussed in the existing literature. Experiments were conducted for all combinations of pressures: 0.5, 1.5, and 2.5 Torr, and nominal power density between 0.1 and 0.7 W/cm2 for each feed gas at a fixed electrode gap of 24 mm, a commonly employed gap in many industrial processes. Our study shows that increasing pressure results in an increase in current at a given electrode bias in argon and oxygen discharges, while there is no discernible pressure-induced change in nitrogen discharges. We attribute this increase to an increase in plasma density, which might result from a change in power deposition or ionization processes. It is likely that heating via secondary electrons becomes more important at intermediate pressures, resulting in increased plasma density and current. Specifically, based on our measurements, it appears that the mechanisms through which power is deposited into the plasma change with increasing pressure for both argon and oxygen discharges but not for nitrogen discharges. Our experimental results align with the outcomes of our simulations and the simulation results of CCP discharges conducted by other researchers under similar conditions.