Transition between different modes of a capacitively coupled radio frequency discharge in CH/sub 4/ in one- and two-dimensional PIC-MCC Simulations

Two regimes of a capacitevely coupled radio frequency (CCRF) gas discharge operating in methane are studied with a combined particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collisions (PIC-MCC) algorithm (one-dimensional model) and with accelerated PIC-MCC algorithm (two-dimensional model) for gas pressure P=(0.01--1) torr and discharge current j=(0.45--2.2) mA/cm/sup 2/. The areas of existence of different discharge regimes are shown on a P-j phase diagram and compared with known numerical results. The role secondary electrons from electrodes during transition is discussed. The phenomena of hysteresis is observed in discharge behavior with current change over growing and falling current branches.