Contactless Method for Studying the Parameters
of the Electrode Region of an RF Discharge

A. F. Aleksandrov, V. A. Ryaby, V. P. Savinov, and V. G. Yakunin

Moscow State University, Vorob’evy gory, Moscow, 119899 Russia

Received May 5, 2002

Abstract—A nonintrusive contactless method for studying the parameters of the electrode region of a capaci-
tive low-pressure RF discharge is proposed. The method involves the measurements of dc and ac electric volt-
ages at the elements of the discharge circuit with subsequent calculations of both the electrostatic potential drop
across the electrode sheath and the sheath thickness by using relations derived in the paper. For a collisionless
electrode sheath, the density of the positive-ion current onto the electrode and the charge density at the plasma
boundary are determined. It is shown experimentally that the method can be successfully applied to studying
capacitive RF discharges with inner or outer electrodes. © 2002 MAIK “Nauka/Interperiodica”.

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