The main goal of this work is to gain a better understanding of a microwave deposition plasma reactor that is used in the production of optical fibres. The plasma is formed in a mixture of O2 and SiCl4 and features a complex chemical composition: It consists of electrons, atoms, molecules and positively as well as negatively charged atomic and molecular ions. The plasma has been studied using a blend of analytic modelling and numerical simulation. The theoretical and numerical aspects employed in the study are briefly explained and regarding discussions are also provided within the context.

A global model for the spatially averaged quantities of interest has been used to better understand the role of the various species and reaction paths in the plasma volume and to investigate the added value of modulating the plasma power. The model is firstly implemented to a radio-frequency plasma setup fed with Cl2, for which these kind of models are developed and widely employed. Following this, it is implemented to the microwave deposition reactor fed with either pure O2 or O2/SiCl4 admixtures. In order to study and understand the effects of transport on the plasma properties, 2-dimensional models that calculate the spatially resolved plasma properties and the external microwave field self-consistently have been constructed.