Spectroscopic diagnostics of low-pressure inductively coupled Kr plasma using a collisional–radiative model with fully relativistic cross sections

Abstract

A collisional–radiative (C–R) model for krypton plasma using fully relativistic distorted-wave cross sections for electron excitations was developed. The model was applied to the characterization of inductively coupled Kr plasma with cylindrical geometry over the pressure regime 1–50 mTorr. Radially averaged emission intensities from transitions of Kr (4p55p → 4p55s) in the range 500–900 nm were recorded at 17 cm from the planar RF-driven coil, with the plasma operated in the inductive regime (H mode). The measured emission intensities were then fitted by varying the electron density, ne, and electron temperature, Te, in the C–R model. At both low and high pressures, variations of the electron density by over two orders of magnitude had only a minor role on the relative emission intensities. On the other hand, Te values deduced from the comparison between experiment and model decreased from 6.7 to 2.6 eV as pressure increased from 1 to 50 mTorr. These results are found to be in good agreement with the effective electron temperature determined from Langmuir probe measurements and the predictions of a model based on the particle balance equation of charged particles.