• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.58 no.11
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• pp.2236-2241
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• 2009

In this study, the electron behavior was investigated numerically in order to obtain guidelines for design and operation of a new plasma source by a magnetic neutral loop discharge (NLD). The optimum plasma production was investigated by using a 3-dimensional simulation model which enables the electron behavior calculation from source region to downstream region. The results showed that the high-density plasma produced around the magnetic neutral loop (NL) is transferred from the NL region to the downstream region along magnetic force lines. Also the avaraged electron energy is increased with the normalized RF electric field (F), which can be used to characterize the plasma production efficiency of NLD system. Considering the relation between F and plasma production, in-depth plasma control can be achieved at a given specific process condition.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.281-287
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• 2001

In order to obtain guidelines for design and operation of a new plasma source by a magnetic neutral loop discharge(NLD), the electron behavior was studied experimentally and numerically. Experimentally, the magnetic field gradient was changed over a wide range, and it was found that there existed an optimum value for efficient plasma production. Analyses of the electron behavior were performed using a model that included effects of a three dimensional electromagnetic field configuration considering the spatial decay of the electric field, and the limitation to the motion of electron caused by the existence of walls and thus electron loss at wall surfaces. These three dimensional factors were found to explain the existence of the optimum magnetic field gradient. It was shown that the L dependence of the plasma production efficiency was firstly decided by the finite decay length of the electric field strength, which was further modified by electron elastic collisions with neutral atoms which drove the electron to walls. The latter effect tends to reduce the optimum value of L.

• KIEE International Transactions on Electrophysics and Applications
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• v.11C no.4
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• pp.107-112
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• 2001

Laser Thomson scattering measurements of electrom temperature and density in a neutral loop discharge (NLD) plasma were performed in order to reveal the electron behavior around the neutral loop (NL). The experimental results were examined by using a simulation model that included effects of a three dimensional electromagnetic field with spatial decay of the RF electric field, and the limitation of the spatial extent of the electron motion and collision effect. From the experiments and modeling of the electron behavior, it was found that NLD plasma posses the electron temeprature $T_{e}$ and density ne peaks around the NL is essential for the formation of plasma. Also, the optimum condition of plasma production could be simply estimated by the calculation of $U_{av}$ and $F_{0}$././.