Low-field helicon discharges

Abstract

Operation of helicon discharges at magnetic fields B0 below 100 G is of interest for plasma etching and deposition reactors if high ion flux can be maintained with reduced field requirements. The theory of coupled helicon and Trivelpiece - Gould modes is summarized for uniform B0. Initial results from two experiments are reported. The first has a single 5 cm diameter tube with B0=0-100G injecting plasma into a field-free region. The second contains a two-dimensional array of seven such tubes covering a large area. Densities and density profiles are measured for various fields, RF powers and gas pressures. The highest density generally occurs at zero field. Because of the non-uniformity in B0, direct comparison with theory cannot yet be made.