Modelling on Sheath Expansion of Two-dimensional Grid Electrodes

For two-dimensional grid electrodes immersed in plasmas, sheath expansion due to negative high-voltage pulse applied to the electrode generates high-energy pseudowave. The high-energy pseudowave can be used as ion beam for ion implantation. To estimate ion dose due to high-energy pseudowave, investigation on sheath expansion of grid electroes is necessary. To investigate sheath expansion, an analytic model was developed by Vlasov equation and applying the 1-D sheath expansion model to 2-D. Because of lack of generalized 2-D Child-Langmuir current, model cannot give solvable equation. Instead, for a given grid electrode geometry, the model found the relations between ion distribution functions, Child-Langmuir currents, and sheath expansions. With these relations and particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, for given grid electrode geometry, computation time was greatly reduced for various conditions such as electrode voltages, plasma densities, and ion species. The model was examined by PIC simulations and experiments, and they well agreed.