Regular Article

Control of Dual Frequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma via blocking capacitor and phase angle

¹ Faculté des Sciences, Université Mouloud Mammeri, 15000 Tizi Ouzou, Algeria
² École Supérieure des Sciences Appliquées, 13000 Tlemcen, Algeria
³ Laboratoire des plasmas de décharges, Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, cité du 20 Aout BP17 Baba Hassen, 16081 Algiers, Algeria

^* e-mail: rafik.benallal@gmail.com

Received: 18 May 2017
Received in final form: 30 August 2017
Accepted: 1 September 2017
Published online: 10 October 2017

Abstract

This work investigates the effects of a blocking capacitor C_B and a phase angle θ on Dual Frequency Capacitively Coupled Plasma (DF-CCP). This investigation is conducted by a Particle-In-Cell with Monte Carlo Collision (PIC-MCC) model. The simulation results are corroborated by a semi-analytical model. Our simulations show that the couple of parameters (C_B, θ) allows the control of the DC self bias, η, as well as the potential drop within the sheaths that form in front of the powered and grounded electrodes. We show, also, that it is possible to use the parameters couple (C_B, θ) such that to control the potential drop within the sheath in front of the powered electrode, ϕ_sp, independently of the potential drop within sheath in front of the grounded electrode, ϕ_sg, and vice versa. This latter ability allows us to control, quasi independently, the ion energy distribution bombarding each electrode.