A simple analytic model valid for all collisionality regimes is developed to describe the power deposition in a cylindrical inductively coupled plasma source with a planar coil. The heating is ohmic at high pressures and remains finite at low pressures. The low‐pressure collisionless heating is due to kinetic nonlocal effects. The model is in good agreement with other calculations of collisionless heating. A diffusion model is then used to determine the plasma density profile and the electron temperature in terms of the gas pressure and the source geometry. The heating and diffusion models are used to determine the scaling of the inductive electric field with applied frequency and input power, and the results are compared with published experimental data to verify the scaling. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.