Monte Carlo simulation of electron behavior in an electron cyclotron resonance microwave discharge sustained by circular TM₁₁ mode fields

Electron behavior in an electron cyclotron resonance microwave discharge sustained by TM₁₁ mode fields of a cylindrical waveguide has been investigated via a Monte Carlo simulation. The time averaged, spatially dependent electron energy distribution is computed self-consistently. At low pressures (∼0.5 mTorr). the temperature of the tail portion of the electron energy distribution exceeds 40 eV, and the sheath potential is about -250 V. These results, which are about twice as high as the previous results for TM₀₁ mode fields [S. C. Kuo, E. E. Kunhardt, and S. P. Kuo, J. Appl. Phys. 73, 4197 (1993)], suggest that TM₁₁ mode fields have a stronger electron cyclotron resonance effect than TM₀₁ mode fields in a cylindrical waveguide.