AN OPTICAL-EMISSION STUDY ON EXPANDING LOW-TEMPERATURE CASCADE ARC PLASMAS

Authors
Citation
Qs. Yu et Hk. Yasuda, AN OPTICAL-EMISSION STUDY ON EXPANDING LOW-TEMPERATURE CASCADE ARC PLASMAS, Plasma chemistry and plasma processing, 18(4), 1998, pp. 461-485
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Applied","Engineering, Chemical","Phsycs, Fluid & Plasmas
ISSN journal
02724324
Volume
18
Issue
4
Year of publication
1998
Pages
461 - 485
Database
ISI
SICI code
0272-4324(1998)18:4<461:AOSOEL>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
The optical emission spectra from expanding low-temperature cascade ar e plasmas were studied. The objective of this study was to examine the distinctive features of low-temperature cascade are plasmas in compar ison with a radio frequency (RF) plasma source. The principal results obtained in this study were. (1) in an expanding cascade are plasma je t, active heavy particles (mainly excited argon or helium neutral spec ies under our operating conditions), rather than electrons, are respon sible for the excitation of reactive species when a reactive gas is in jected into the plasma jet, (2) the excitation of reactive species was found to be controlled by the electronic energy levels of these excit ed argon ou helium neutrals, (3) changing the operating parameters aff ected only the emission intensities of excited species, and no effect on the emission nature of plasmas was observed.