The field and power absorption profiles in helicon plasma resonators

Analytic expressions are presented for electromagnetic waves excited by Boswell and Nagoya III type antennae [F. F. Chen, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10, 1389 (1992)] in a uniform plasma column, and profiles of the wave field and power absorption are calculated. The Trivelpiece-Gould mode is found to be dominant causing the surface electron heating, while the linear dependence of the plasma density on the magnetic field is obeyed. In addition, the fast helicon wave approximation, with which the electron inertia is neglected, is examined in detail and its validity is discussed.