Ionization of N<inf>2</inf> in radio-frequent electric field

Abstract

Rate coefficients for the electron impact ionization of the N2 molecule are calculated in non-equilibrium conditions in the presence of time-dependent electric field. A Monte Carlo simulation has been developed in order to determine non-equilibrium electron energy distribution functions within one period of the radio-frequent (RF) electric field. By using these distribution functions, rate coefficients for ionization of the N2 molecule have been obtained time resolved within one period in the frequency range from 13.56 up to 500 MHz, at effective reduced electric field values up to 700 Td. This work presents an insight into the temporal characteristics of ionizing process and provides the ionization rate coefficients that can be of great use for correct implementation in modeling RF plasma discharges. A behavior of rate coefficients under the influence of magnitude and frequency of the fields was studied separately revealing some interesting features in time dependence. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.