Modeling of breakdown behavior in radio-frequency argon discharges with improved secondary emission model

This work represents the investigation of the dependence of the breakdown voltage on the gas pressure and on the frequency in radio-frequency argon discharges. Calculations were performed by using a one-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo code with three velocity components with a new secondary emission model. The obtained results show that the multivalued nature of the left-hand branch of the breakdown curve can be achieved only by taking into account energy dependence of the yield per ion. The multivalued nature of the left-hand branch of the breakdown curve is attributed to the influence of the secondary emission characteristics of the electrodes on the breakdown voltage. Simulation results show a good agreement with the available experimental data. Disagreements between simulation results and theoretical predictions based on the phenomenological method indicate that a more accurate determination of molecular constants is needed. As a result of the satisfactory agreement between simulation and experimental data for dependence of the breakdown voltage on the frequency, a frequency scaling law is proposed. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.