1.
Rev Sci Instrum
; 85(6): 063507, 2014 Jun.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24985819
ABSTRACT
A simple self-compensated Langmuir probe using the character of a standing wave is developed for characterization of radio-frequency (RF) discharge plasmas. This probe is based on a concept that the interference of RF field is eliminated at the node of a standing wave which exists ideally at one-fourth of the RF wavelength (λ/4) away from the probe tip in the plasma. The fluctuation of plasma space potential is suppressed as confirmed by comparison with a non-compensated probe and a self-compensated probe using an inductor-capacitor (LC) resonant circuit. The plasma parameters obtained with the standing wave probe are in agreement with those with the LC resonant probe within discrepancy of 15% indicating high reliability of the results.