Power Absorption in High Power Microwave Discharges

Measurements on RF power absorption in microwave discharges at 2.45 GHz, at pressures from 1 to 30 Torr in N2 and from 1 to 500 Torr in Ar, are described. A linear slow-wave structure of the strapped-bar type was employed for coupling RF energy to the plasma. From measurements on the plasma volume and on the total power absorbed, the variation with gas pressure of the RF power density in the plasma was obtained. For an incident power of 1 kW, power densities as high as 2-3 W/cm3 over relatively large plasma volumes could be achieved. The experimental data were used to calculate the pressure dependence of the electron density in an argon plasma, for an incident power of 1 kW.