Self-consistent particle modeling of radio frequency discharge in Ar/O{sub 2} mixtures: Effects of crossed electric and magnetic fields and partial pressure

A particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model is developed to study and analyze the electrical characteristics of the nonequilibrium plasma created by radio frequency (RF) discharge in Ar/O{sub 2} mixtures in the presence of crossed electric and magnetic fields. The method of collision treatment is based on an optimized estimation of the free time flight. The needed basic data--more specifically, the ion-neutral cross sections--are determined first. The simulation conditions are 50 mTorr for the total gas pressure and 200 V for the peak of the RF voltage at a frequency of 13.56 MHz. The magnetic field is varied from 0 to 50 G. The effect of the partial pressure ratio of O{sub 2} in the mixture and the effect of the magnitude of the magnetic field are discussed. In particular, the results show an increase of the plasma density that is ten times higher in the presence of a magnetic field.