Diagnostics of low-pressure hydrogen discharge created in a 13.56 MHz RF plasma reactor

Abstract

A 13.56 MHz RF discharge in hydrogen was studied within the pressure range of 1-17 10 Pa, and at power range of 400-1000 W. The electron energy distribution function and 18 electron density were measured by a Langmuir probe. The gas temperature was determined by 19 the Fulcher-$α$ system in pure H2, and by the second positive system of nitrogen using N2 as the 20 probing gas. The gas temperature was constant and equal to 450 $\pm$ 50 K in the Capacitively 21 Coupled Plasma mode (CCP), and it was increasing with pressure and power in the Inductively 22 Coupled Plasma mode (ICP). Also the vibrational temperature of ground state of hydrogen 23 molecules was determined to be around 3100 and 2000 $\pm$ 500 K in ICP and CCP mode, 24 respectively. The concentration of atomic hydrogen was determined by means of actinometry, 25 either by using Ar (5 %) as the probing gas, or by using H2 as the actinometer in pure hydrogen 26 (Q1 rotational line of Fulcher-$α$ system) The concentration of hydrogen density was increasing 27 with pressure in both modes, but with a dissociation degree slightly higher in the ICP mode (a 28 factor 2). 29 30 Submitted to Physica Scripta 31