Driving frequency effects on the mode transition in capacitively coupled argon discharges

A one-dimensional fluid model is employed to investigate the discharge sustaining mechanisms in the capacitively coupled argon plasmas, by modulating the driving frequency in the range of 40 kHz-60 MHz. The model incorporates the density and flux balance of electron and ion, electron energy balance, as well as Poisson's equation. In our simulation, the discharge experiences mode transition as the driving frequency increases, from the γ regime in which the discharge is maintained by the secondary electrons emitted from the electrodes under ion bombardment, to the α regime in which sheath oscillation is responsible for most of the electron heating in the discharge sustaining. The electron density and electron temperature at the centre of the discharge, as well as the ion flux on the electrode are figured out as a function of the driving frequency, to confirm the two regimes and transition between them. The effects of gas pressure, secondary electron emission coefficient and applied voltage on the discharge are also discussed.