CHARACTERIZATION OF LOW-FREQUENCY PLASMA GENERATED IN A 3-ELECTRODE REACTOR

Electrical characteristic of argon plasma generated in a novel, three- electrode audio frequency (AF) reactor has been investigated by means of a Langmuir single probe movable in the space between reactor electr odes. Both AF potentials of plasma in various places of the reactor an d typical current-voltage characteristics have been measured. It has b een found that energetic conditions of the plasma, such as electron de nsity and electron temperature, are independent on the coupling capaci ty C - the only operational parameter used in the reactor. Changes of C have, however, influence on the ion bombardment process taking place in the vicinity of a small electrode. The ion bombardment energy has been roughly estimated. The calculated values are in a good agreement with results of an experiment performed in the reactor with argon sput ter etching of a gold him. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.