On the reaction rates in the low pressure chlorine discharge

Summary form only given: We use a global (volume averaged) model to study the dissociation of the chlorine molecule and the electronegativity in a low pressure (1-100 mTorr) high density chlorine discharge. The collisional energy loss per electron ion pair created is evaluated for the chlorine atom and the chlorine molecule. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is allowed to vary from being Maxwellian like to being Druyvesteyn like. We explore and compare the reaction rates for the creation and destruction of the positive ions Cl⁺ and Cl₂ ⁺, the negative ion Cl^- and the atomic chlorine in the ground state Cl(²P). Furthermore, the dissociation mechanism in the chlorine discharge is investigated as a function of discharge pressure. The discharge is dominated by atomic chlorine at low pressure, but with increasing pressure the discharge becomes less dissociated. The electronegativity of the discharge increases rapidly with increasing pressure, but decreases as the discharge power increases.