Determination of mean electron energy in an elevated-pressure plasma by the probe method

Abstract

The possibility of determining mean electron energy from the slope of the dependence of probe electron current on probe potential under conditions of a nonequilibrium electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and electron drain to the probe is demonstrated. To accomplish this one must use the portion of the current-voltage curve (CVC) in the region of the null of the third derivative of the probe current. Given a drain parameter δ with an accuracy of ≅20%. For an EEDF close to equilibrium the maximum uncertainty of determination by this technique does not exceed 50%.