DIAGNOSTICS OF A DC PULSED-PLASMA-ASSISTED NITRIDING PROCESS

Plasma diagnostics is an in situ tool well adapted to study the proces ses involved in surface modification. In this paper, we report some ex periments carried out using optical emission spectroscopy and electros tatic probes, and performed in an iron nitriding d.c. pulsed plasma. W e show that some excitation processes during the temporal postdischarg e are the same as those which occur in the discharge. Moreover, result s about the effect of the discharge power on the excitation of particu lar nitrogen levels are discussed. Some first results about the experi mental determination of the electron energy distribution function are also presented.