Fast and reliable simulations of argon inductively coupled plasma using COMSOL

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactors are widely used for microelectronic device fabrication. Numerical simulations of these devices are an important tool, which enables an improved understanding of ICP processes. Simulations based on fluid models have been reported in literature numerous times; however, in most cases high accuracies require expensive computational costs. We have checked in this work the applicability of COMSOL for plasma simulations, using a fluid model able to provide high accuracies with very low computational cost. A Boltzmann equation solver has been included in order to calculate the electron energy distribution function and the reduced electron mobility. Ions mobility has been calculated as a function of the reduced electric field. The results of the simulations have been benchmarked both against model and experimental results showing a high correlation with experimental values. This model approach can provide, in addition to high accuracy, fast simulations with an easy set-up of initial conditions, which allows flexible changes in the input variables in a short period of time. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.