Ion energy and angular distributions in low-pressure capacitive oxygen RF discharges driven by tailored voltage waveforms

TL;DR

This study uses kinetic simulations and analytical models to analyze ion energy and angular distributions in low-pressure capacitive oxygen RF discharges, exploring control methods via tailored voltage waveforms.

Contribution

It provides detailed insights into ion distributions and control strategies in oxygen RF discharges using advanced simulation and analytical approaches.

Findings

Ion energy and angular distributions vary with waveform type.

Independent control of ion flux and energy is achievable.

Distributions depend on collisionality and waveform shape.

Abstract

We investigate the energy and angular distributions of the ions reaching the electrodes in low-pressure, capacitively coupled oxygen radio-frequency discharges. These distributions, as well as the possibilities of the independent control of the ion flux and the ion energy are analysed for different types of excitation: single- and classical dual-frequency, as well as valleys- and sawtooth-type waveforms. The studies are based on kinetic, particle-based simulations that reveal the physics of these discharges in great details. The conditions cover weakly collisional to highly collisional domains of ion transport via the electrode sheaths. Analytical models are also applied to understand the features of the energy and angular distribution functions.