Influence of the multipolar magnetic field configuration on the density of distributed electron cyclotron resonance plasmas

In distributed electron cyclotron resonance plasma sources, the acceleration of electrons is produced by microwave electric fields, applied and distributed close to a multipolar magnetic field structure, providing along the magnets the condition for electron cyclotron resonance. The ensuing fast electrons are trapped in the multipolar magnetic field and drift along the magnets, hence the interest of a closed magnetic configuration to avoid losses at the boundaries of the confinement structure. The performances of two cylindrical reactors fed with microwave power through eight linear applicators and surrounded by either eight magnet bars or eight racetracks (magnetron-like magnetic structures) are measured and compared. In both cases plasma density saturates at the critical density, but in the case of the closed magnetic configuration the saturation is reached for a microwave input power a factor of ten lower than with the open magnetic configuration. This result confirms that the confinement effect of the multipolar magnetic field mainly applies to the fast electrons which generate the plasma.