Simulation results and experimental measurements in an oxygen ICP are used to examine transport and reaction in oxygen inductively coupled plasmas. The trends of plasma characteristics with pressure and rf power are considered. We show that the balance between gas phase 02 dissociation and surface 0 recombination controls the plasma characteristics under the investigated conditions. Neutral density profiles are primarily the result of diffusive transport in balance with fast surface reactions. According to the model, the O(D-1), O-2(a(1)Delta), and O-2(b1Sigma) metastable states play an important role in dissociation, ionization, and attachment kinetics. The O(S-1) metastable is not kinetically important. (C) 2003 American Vacuum Society.