Spatially resolved Langmuir probe diagnostics in a capacitively coupled radio frequency argon and oxygen plasma

Abstract

Axial and radial profiles of the positive ion saturation current were measured by Langmuir probe diagnostics in a capacitively coupled radio frequency (RF) plasma in argon and oxygen. Under certain conditions these profiles provide the spatial density distribution of the positive ions, which corresponds approximately to the electron density in the electropositive plasma. Particularly in oxygen at low RF power a peak in the ion saturation current appears in the radial direction at the electrode boundary. The axial position s at the maximum ion saturation current depends on total pressure with s ∝ p−1/3, which reveals the pressure dependence of a collisional RF sheath. Furthermore, Langmuir probe characteristics were evaluated in terms of the Druyvesteyn method to determine the radial behavior of the electron energy probability function (EEPF). From the EEPF the radially resolved effective electron temperature and electron density were calculated. The radial electron density profile from the Langmuir probe was numerically integrated to calculate a line integrated electron density for comparison with the measured line integrated density from 160 GHz microwave interferometry. The integration over the Langmuir probe density results in a line integrated density, which amounts to 40% of the line integrated density from microwave interferometry.