Three-dimension numerical simulation of a large-scale rectangular surface wave plasma source

Summary form only given. Surface wave plasma (SWP) source can generate large-scale, high-density and uniform plasma without the use of electrodes and external magnet field. Due to the complex coupling mechanisms between antenna array, surface wave and plasma in the SWP source, it urgently needs computer numerical simulation to study relevant physical mechanisms as well as to optimize the design of device. In this paper, the propagation of plasma surface wave excited by slot antenna and the spontaneous outspread of plasma under the “push” of surface wave are simulated by using a quasi-steady-state time-stepping plasma fluid model coupled with the Maxwell's equations. The temporal evolutions of electron density and temperature in three dimensions are presented. The impacts of different antenna arrays, microwave input power and gas pressure on the spontaneous outspread of plasma are analyzed.