Nonlinear effects in inductively coupled plasmas

Nonlinear effects in an inductive discharge have been studied experimentally and theoretically in a low pressure and low frequency operational regime. Plasma dynamics at these conditions is strongly nonlinear due to inertial and Lorentz forces. Nonlinear plasma polarization at the second harmonic and mean ~ponderomotive! potential as well as generation of the electric current at the second harmonic have been measured experimentally and analyzed theoretically. It has been found experimentally that classical expression for the ponderomotive force is not applicable for warm plasmas in the inductive discharges that are typically in the regime of the anomalous skin effect. A new expression for the ponderomotive force in a warm plasma had been derived and was shown to be in a good agreement with experimental data. The influence of nonlinear effects on the plasma heating in the low frequency regime has been investigated theoretically. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. @DOI: 10.1063/1.1566443#