An investigation of Ar metastable state density in low pressure dual-frequency capacitively coupled argon and argon-diluted plasmas

Journal Article · Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4905953· OSTI ID:22412816

Liu, Wen-Yao; Xu, Yong; Peng, Fei; Guo, Qian; Li, Xiao-Song; Zhu, Ai-Min ^[1]; Liu, Yong-Xin; Wang, You-Nian ^[1]

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1. Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion, and Electron Beams (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China)

An tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy has been used to determine the Ar*({sup 3}P{sub 2}) and Ar*({sup 3}P{sub 0}) metastable atoms densities in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas. The effects of different control parameters, such as high-frequency power, gas pressure and content of Ar, on the densities of two metastable atoms and electron density were discussed in single-frequency and dual-frequency Ar discharges, respectively. Particularly, the effects of the pressure on the axial profile of the electron and Ar metastable state densities were also discussed. Furthermore, a simple rate model was employed and its results were compared with experiments to analyze the main production and loss processes of Ar metastable states. It is found that Ar metastable state is mainly produced by electron impact excitation from the ground state, and decayed by diffusion and collision quenching with electrons and neutral molecules. Besides, the addition of CF{sub 4} was found to significantly increase the metastable destruction rate by the CF{sub 4} quenching, especially for large CF{sub 4} content and high pressure, it becomes the dominant depopulation process.

• OSTI ID: 22412816
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 2; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ARGON
ATOMS
CARBON TETRAFLUORIDE
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIFFUSION
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
EXCITATION
GROUND STATES
LASER RADIATION
METASTABLE STATES
MOLECULES
PLASMA
QUENCHING