Effects of impedance matching network on the discharge mode transitions in a radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma

In inductively coupled plasma sources, discharge transitions from electrostatic mode (E mode) to electromagnetic mode (H mode) and from H mode to E mode occur. In previous studies, only a few works paid attention to the effects of the impedance matching network. Cunge et al. [Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 8, 576 (1999)] investigated the E-H and H-E mode transitions under two different impedance matching situations, but no physical mechanism or interpretation was presented. This issue is remained to be systematically and quantitatively investigated, and the underlying mechanism to be unveiled. In this paper, the effects of the impedance matching network were experimentally studied in electropositive argon gas by varying the series capacitance in an inversely L-shaped matching network. The positive and negative feedback regions are established according to the effect of varying the series capacitance on the output power of the rf power supply. It was found that under the same experimental parameters, the discharge mode transitions are apt to be discontinuous and continuous in the positive and negative feedback regions, respectively. In addition, the critical coil rf current (or applied power) at the mode transition, the hysteretic loop width, and the difference in applied power during the discharge mode transition vary with the series capacitance. The critical coil rf current at the E-H mode transition is not always higher than that at the H-E mode transition.