High-Fidelity Computational Studies of Intermediate Pressure Capacitively Coupled Plasmas

This report discussed progress made in the development of a computational model for intermediate pressure capacitively coupled plasma discharge. A new full fidelity argon chemistry model has been developed that includes electron, argon ion, three lumped states for electronically excited species, and the background ground state argon. As such the mechanism has been validated over a wide range of intermediate pressure conditions from 100 mTorr to a few Torr. Uncertainties in the electron impact cross sections and the rate coefficients for the reactions are propagated through the model to establish uncertainties that emerge in the model due the reaction mechanism and its impact on the discharge properties. The model is therefore validated in face of uncertainties.. Authors: Raja, Laxminarayan [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)] (ORCID:0000000259637183). DOE Contract: SC0024436. Subjects: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; argon plasma; chemistry mechanism; uncertainty quantification; validation under uncertainty