Laser-induced fluorescence measurements in an inductively coupled plasma reactor

The authors report on laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of ion velocity distribution functions made in an inductively coupled plasma reactor with a pulsed plasma source. Vertical and radial velocities have been measured at thousands of spatial locations within a plane, and the LIF data have been calibrated to a 96 GHz microwave interferometer. The ions are observed to approach the Bohm velocity and the inferred electric potential within the presheath agrees well with theory. A two-dimensional flow pattern of the ion velocity above the substrate is presented. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.