Particle-in-Cell and molecular dynamics simulation of plasma-surface interaction

Depending on their energy, particles from a plasma can initiate various processes on the surface of a solid. This includes, i.a., sputtering, adsorption of the particle on the surface, or the emission of secondary electrons back into the plasma. Particle-in-Cell simulations with Monte Carlo Collisions (PIC-MCC) have been used to investigate the influence of surface processes on the physical conditions in an rf discharge~[1]. Here, we perform PIC-MCC simulations and focus on the physical parameters in the sheath region as the plasma-surface boundary layer from which energetic plasma particles reach the surface and into which particles from the solid are emitted. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to gain a better understanding of the microscopic processes on the surface.\\ $[1]$ A. Derzsi \textit{et al.}, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. \textbf{24}, 034002 (2015).