Laser initiation and radiofrequency sustainment of seeded air plasmas

Summary form only given. Seeded gas plasmas and air constituents have been created by a 193 nm laser and radiofrequency sources. We have obtained 10/sup 14//cm/sup 3/ plasma densities with initial electron temperatures of 0.3 eV in TMAE (tetrakis (dimethylamino) ethylene) by laser photoionization. We developed a fast Langmuir probe analysis of plasma decay independent of ion species mix. Langmuir probe and optical emission data illustrating the density and temperature decay with TMAE mixed with nitrogen is presented. Simulations of antenna coupling, wave frequencies, wave propagation, and power absorption are compared with experimental observations for radiofrequency plasma sources. The source produces plasma densities of 2/spl times/10/sub 13//cm/sup 3/ in an 8500 cm/sup 3/ volume at electron temperatures of 5 eV in 10 mTorr Ar in a nonuniform magnetic field. Radiofrequency plasma production at pressures from 2700 Torr using Ar and laser initiated TMAE plasmas as seeds will be discussed.