Charge state distribution and emission characteristics in a table top reflex discharge—Effect of ion confinement and electrons accelerated across the sheath

Abstract

Tabletop reflex discharges in a Penning geometry have many applications including ion sources and eXtreme Ultra-Violet (XUV) sources. The presence of primary electrons accelerated across the cathode sheaths is responsible for the distribution of ion charge states and of the unusually high XUV brightness of these plasmas. Absolutely calibrated space resolved XUV spectra from a table top reflex discharge operating with Al cathodes and Ne gas are presented. The spectra are analyzed with a new and complete model for ion charge distribution in similar reflex discharges. The plasma in the discharge was found to have a density of ∼1018 m−3 with a significant fraction >0.01 of fast primary electrons. The implications of the new model on the ion states achievable in a tabletop reflex plasma discharge are also discussed.