Vacuum UV and UV spectroscopy of a N2–Ar mixture discharge created by an RF helical coupling device

Abstract

Optical emission spectroscopy in vacuum ultraviolet and UV spectral ranges is applied to study densities, and vibrational and rotational temperatures of the N2 molecule in a nitrogen–argon (0–95% Ar) plasma sustained at a pressure of 400 Pa by a helical cavity supplied with a power of 28 W and an excitation frequency of 27 MHz. The spatial investigation of all emission systems from UV to NIR shows a minimum situated in the middle of the helical structure and two maxima located at the positions where the RF power is transmitted to the gas and at the end of the helix. The minimum was deepest for emission of the first positive (1+) nitrogen system. This hollow shaped density profile due to the presence of a non-linear phenomenon in the discharge is constant whatever the gas composition. The emissions related to Lyman–Birge–Hopfield and the second positive (2+) systems of molecular nitrogen, and N(2P) atoms, are analyzed versus the Ar percentage. Additionally, the NO(A 2Σ+ → X 2Π) and OH(A 2Σ+ → X 2Π) emission systems coming from impurities are investigated. All the densities of the considered species increase with Ar amount. The rotational and vibrational temperatures of the emitter species are determined through the comparison between experimental and simulated spectra. In the case of a N2 discharge, all the rotational temperatures deduced through the nitrogen emission systems are equal and can be assimilated to the gas temperature. With the increase in the Ar amount, only the rotational temperature obtained from the 1+ system is close to the gas temperature. The rotational and vibrational temperatures related to the NO(A 2Σ+) species are constant whatever the gas composition. The vibrational distribution function of N2(a 1Πg) state presents a Boltzmann law with a vibrational temperature in the range 5600–8000 K (±1000 K) for the N2–x% Ar mixture with x < 75%. When the Ar percentage increases above this limit, we observe strong deviations from the Boltzmann law and no temperature can be deduced. Some kinetic considerations, where the nitrogen and argon metastables play an important role, are discussed to explain the strong dependence of the temperatures and density species toward the Ar amount in the gas mixture.