The effects of in-elastic processes on electron temperature in electron beam generated plasmas

Summary form only given. Electron beam generated plasmas have a variety of unique features that make them distinctive plasma sources for materials processing. In these plasmas the electron beam rather than an applied electric field is the energy source that drives ionization resulting in inherently low electron temperatures (0.2-1 eV). This work will focus on the role that trace ad-mixtures of molecular gas play in controlling kT
_e
in electron beam generated plasmas. Mixtures of Ar/N
₂
and Ar/SF
₆
are examined with attention paid to changes in the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) resulting from vibrational cooling (Ar/N
₂
) and electron attachment (Ar/SF
₆
) and how those changes in the EEDF influence plasma characteristics.