Nonlocal electron kinetics in a low-pressure inductively coupled radio-frequency discharge

Abstract

The Boltzmann equation for electrons is analyzed for a low-pressure inductively coupled rf discharge in argon driven by a planar coil. Spatially resolved probe measurements of the electron distribution function (EDF) indicate that the total energy of electrons is an argument of the EDF. Pressure dependence of the light emission distribution is explained on the basis of nonlocal electron kinetics.