The multipole resonance probe (MRP) was recently proposed as an economical and industry compatible plasma diagnostic device (Lapke et al 2008 Appl. Phys. Lett. 93 051502). This communication reports the experimental characterization of a first MRP prototype in an inductively coupled argon/nitrogen plasma at 10 Pa. The behavior of the device follows the predictions of both an analytical model and a numerical simulation. The obtained electron densities are in excellent agreement with the results of Langmuir probe measurements.
A diagnostic concept is presented which enables the simultaneous determination of plasma density, electron temperature, and collision rate in low-pressure gas discharges. The proposed method utilizes a radio-frequency driven probe of particular spherical design which is immersed in the plasma to excite a family of spatially bounded surface resonances. An analysis of the measured absorption spectrum S(ω) of the probe provides information on the distribution of the plasma in its vicinity, from which the values of the plasma parameters can be inferred. In its simplest realization, the probe consists of two dielectrically shielded, conducting hemispheres, which are symmetrically driven by an radio-frequency source, and the excited resonances can be classified as multipole fields, which allows an analytical evaluation of the measured signal. The proposed method is robust, calibration free, economical, and can be used for ideal and reactive plasmas alike.
The term "Active Plasma Resonance Spectroscopy" denotes a class of diagnostic methods which employ the ability of plasmas to resonate on or near the plasma frequency. The basic idea dates back to the early days of discharge physics: A signal in the GHz range is coupled to the plasma via an electrical probe; the spectral response is recorded, and then evaluated with a mathematical model to obtain information on the electron density and other plasma parameters. In recent years, the concept has found renewed interest as a basis of industry compatible plasma diagnostics. This paper analyzes the diagnostics technique in terms of a general description based on functional analytic (or Hilbert Space) methods which hold for arbitrary probe geometries. It is shown that the response function of the plasma-probe system can be expressed as a matrix element of the resolvent of an appropriately defined dynamical operator. A specialization of the formalism to a symmetric probe design is given, as well as an interpretation in terms of a lumped circuit model consisting of series resonance circuits. We present ideas for an optimized probe design based on geometric and electrical symmetry.
The plasma absorption probe (PAP) was invented as an economical and robust diagnostic device to determine the electron density distribution in technical plasmas. It consists of a small antenna enclosed by a dielectric tube which is immersed in the plasma. A network analyzer feeds a rf signal to the antenna and displays the frequency dependence of the power absorption. From the absorption spectrum the value of the electron density is calculated. The original evaluation formula was based on the dispersion relation of plasma surface waves propagating along an infinite dielectric cylinder. In this letter the authors present the analysis of a less idealized configuration. The calculated spectra are in good qualitative agreement with their experimental counterparts, but differ considerably from those predicted by the surface wave ansatz. An evaluation scheme which takes our findings into account will improve the performance of the PAP technique further.
The plasma absorption probe is a recently developed tool for efficient determination of electron densities of low temperature plasmas. The occurrence of multiple absorption signals was a serious drawback for interpretation of the probe data. To remedy this drawback, a spherically symmetric design of an absorption probe is proposed. A spherical probe is tested in experiment and simulation and the suppression of the multiple absorption signals is demonstrated. The proof of principle for the concept is given.
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