Characteristics of heating mode transitions in a radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma

In this report, plasma heating mode transitions at different pressures in an inductively coupled plasma source are investigated. Results show that the plasma properties abruptly change as the mode transition occurs at pressures where the electron - neutral particle collision frequency is higher than the wave frequency while they slowly vary at the low-pressure side. Additionally, the electron energy distribution function changes from a Druyvesten to a Maxwellian distribution in mode transitions at high pressure.