Electron energy distribution functions in low-pressure oxygen plasma columns sustained by propagating surface waves

Journal Article · Mon Jan 12 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3072364· OSTI ID:21175871

Stafford, L; Margot, J; Moisan, M ^[1]; Khare, R; Donnelly, V M ^[2]

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1. Departement de Physique, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7 (Canada)
2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204 (United States)

Electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) were measured in a 50 mTorr oxygen plasma column sustained by propagating surface waves. Trace-rare-gas-optical-emission spectroscopy was used to derive EEDFs by selecting lines to extract ''electron temperature''(T{sub e}) corresponding to either lower energy electrons that excite high-lying levels through stepwise excitation via metastable states or higher energy electrons that excite emission directly from the ground state. Lower energy T{sub e}'s decreased from 8 to 5.5 eV with distance from the wave launcher, while T{sub e}{approx_equal}6 eV for higher energy electrons and T{sub e}>20 eV for a high-energy tail. Mechanisms for such EEDFs are discussed.

• OSTI ID: 21175871
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 94, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3072364; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELECTRONS
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ENERGY SPECTRA
EXCITATION
GROUND STATES
ION TEMPERATURE
METASTABLE STATES
OXYGEN
PLASMA
PRESSURE RANGE PA
WAVE PROPAGATION