Excited species in H 2, N 2, O 2 microwave flowing discharges and post-discharges

Abstract

The density of O and H atoms have been measured by emission spectroscopy and by catalytic probes in a flowing post-discharge reactor. In the post-discharge reactor at 1 torr and a time of 2–3×10 −2 s after a 2.45-GHz Ar10%O 2 discharge (quartz tube of diameter 6 mm) at 60 W, approximately the same values of 1(±0.3)×10 15 cm −3 oxygen atom densities were obtained by NO titration and by a Ni catalytic probe. In ArH 2 post-discharge, the Ni catalytic probe gave a H-atom density of (1–1.2)×10 15 cm −3 for an Ar4%H 2 gas mixture at 3 torr and a time less than 10 −3 s after a microwave discharge of 50 W.