TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolution of ion and electron energy distributions in pulsed helicon plasma discharges
AU - Conway, G. D.
AU - Perry, A. J.
AU - Boswell, R. W.
PY - 1998/8
Y1 - 1998/8
N2 - The temporal evolutions of the ion and electron energy distributions of pulsed helicon diffusion plasmas are measured. High power (<1 kW) moderate length (10 ms pulses, 10% duty cycle) 13.56 MHz RF discharges show three distinct pulse phases: (a) breakdown (the first 250 μs), characterized by high electron temperatures (>8 eV) and high ion energies (>40 eV); (b) a mid-pulse phase, which is identical to CW operation, and (c) the termination and afterglow which displays a collapsing plasma potential, splitting in ion energy peaks and a transient hot electron component (>11 eV). The hot electrons in the breakdown and termination phases are characteristic of a capacitive antenna coupling mode, while high densities and low plasma potentials of the steady-state mid-pulse phase are characteristic of an inductive/helicon wave coupling mode.
AB - The temporal evolutions of the ion and electron energy distributions of pulsed helicon diffusion plasmas are measured. High power (<1 kW) moderate length (10 ms pulses, 10% duty cycle) 13.56 MHz RF discharges show three distinct pulse phases: (a) breakdown (the first 250 μs), characterized by high electron temperatures (>8 eV) and high ion energies (>40 eV); (b) a mid-pulse phase, which is identical to CW operation, and (c) the termination and afterglow which displays a collapsing plasma potential, splitting in ion energy peaks and a transient hot electron component (>11 eV). The hot electrons in the breakdown and termination phases are characteristic of a capacitive antenna coupling mode, while high densities and low plasma potentials of the steady-state mid-pulse phase are characteristic of an inductive/helicon wave coupling mode.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032140847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0963-0252/7/3/012
DO - 10.1088/0963-0252/7/3/012
M3 - Article
SN - 0963-0252
VL - 7
SP - 337
EP - 347
JO - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
JF - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
IS - 3
ER -