SPACE-TIME RESOLVED DIAGNOSTICS OF RADIO FREQUENCY GLOW DISCHARGE KINETICS

Abstract
Three applications of space-time resolved spectroscopy to the study of plasma processes are reviewed briefly. Each application emphasizes a different aspect of plasma chemistry : heterogeneous reactions, homogeneous reactions, and charged-particle transport. Spatially-resolved concentration profiles of reactants near surfaces provides estimates for heterogeneous reaction rates. This is demonstrated using data for CF₂ molecules near Si and O atoms near Al, graphite, and kapton. Space-time resolved plasma-induced emission is used to distinguish between dissociative excitation mechanisms in BCl₃-Ar discharge mixtures, where superelastic collisions of cold electrons with Ar metastables are shown to be important. Stark-mixed laser-induced fluorescence is used to measure the self-consistent electric fields that are responsible for controlling charged particle transport to and from device surfaces. The low frequency fields breathe periodically as they extract ions from the sheath.