A staggered-mesh finite-difference numerical method for solving the transport equations in low pressure rf glow discharges

A numerical model of a low pressure parallel plate rf glow discharge is presented based on a self-consistent formulation of the energy-momentum conservation equations for electrons, the continuity equations for both electrons and ions, and Poisson's equation. Various explicit finite-difference numerical methods are discussed in terms of stability and overshoot properties. Stability considerations for the numerical method that was implemented, including the initial and the boundary conditions, are examined. Results from a large-signal simulation of a low pressure argon rf glow discharge are presented.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27230/1/0000237.pd