Measurements of the electron energy distribution function in an Ar/CF4 inductively coupled plasma

Measurements of the electron energy distribution function (eedf) of a low-p ressure inductively coupled plasma operated in a mixture of Ar and CF4 are reported. The measurement method was laser Thomson scattering. Extensive te st were performed in order to verify that any perturbations caused by the l aser did not affect the measurements. The eedf was measured for different c oncentrations of CF4 gas, and the results indicated that it was non-Maxwell ian when even small amounts of CF4 gas were present. This dependence was at tributed partially to the effect of electron-molecule vibrational excitatio n collisions. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.