The effects of match circuit on the breakdown process of capacitively coupled plasma driven by radio frequency

The breakdown process of capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) in the presence of a matching network is rarely studied, even though it is the indispensable part of the most laboratory and industrial devices of CCP. Based on the method of Verboncoeur, the solution method of the general “L”-type match circuit coupled with a particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo code is deduced self-consistently. Based on this method, the electrical breakdown process of CCP is studied. Both the plasma parameters and the electric parameters of the matching network during the breakdown are given and analyzed. In the pre-breakdown phase, the entire circuit can be considered as a linear system. However, the formation of the sheath during breakdown significantly enhanced the capacitance of the discharge chamber, which changed the electric signal amplitude of the external circuit. With the stabilization of plasma, the equivalent capacitance of CCP increases, which continues to change the electrical signal until the steady-state is reached. Accompanied by plasma stabilization is the appearance of high-order harmonics of discharge current caused by the gradually oscillating CCP capacitance. The breakdown characteristics can be obviously affected by the capacitance of the matching network. In the case of a breakdown zone, some breakdowns with special characteristics can be obtained by choosing the different capacitors. These works might be a reference for understanding the interaction between the plasma and the external circuit during the breakdown process and how to modulate the gas breakdown by controlling the external circuit.