Evidence of local power deposition and electron heating by a standing electromagnetic wave in electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma.

Microwave plasmas excited at electron-cyclotron resonance were studied in the 0.5-15 mTorr pressure range. In contrast with low-limit pressure conditions where the plasma emission highlights a fairly homogeneous spatial structure, a periodic spatial modulation (period ∼6.2 cm) appeared as pressure increased. This feature is ascribed to a local power deposition (related to the electron density) due to the presence of a standing electromagnetic wave created by the feed electromagnetic field (2.45 GHz) in the cavity formed by the reactor walls. Analysis of the electron energy probability function by Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy further revealed the presence of a high-energy tail that showed strong periodic spatial modulation at higher pressure. The spatial evolution of the electron density and of the characteristic temperature of these high-energy electrons coincides with the nodes (maximum) and antinodes (minimum) of the standing wave. These spatially-modulated power deposition and electron heating mechanisms are then discussed.