  A self-consistent 1-D model was developed to study the effect of the electron
energy distribution function (EEDF) on power deposition and plasma density
profiles in a planar inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in the non-local regime
(pressure < 10 mTorr). The model consisted of three modules: (1) an electron
energy distribution function (EEDF) module to compute the non-Maxwellian EEDF,
(2) a non-local electron kinetics module to predict the non-local electron
conductivity, RF current, electric field and power deposition profiles in the
non-uniform plasma, and (3) a heavy species transport module to solve for the
ion density and velocity profiles as well as the metastable density. Results
using the non-Maxwellian EEDF model were compared with predictions using a
Maxwellian EEDF, under otherwise identical conditions. The RF electric field,
current, and power deposition profiles were different, especially at 1mTorr,
for which the electron effective mean free path was larger than the skin depth.
The plasma density predicted by the Maxwellian EEDF was up to 93% larger for
the conditions examined. Thus, the non-Maxwellian EEDF must be accounted for in
modeling ICPs at very low pressures.
