Negative Ion Extraction from Pulsed Discharges

Time-resolved measurements of pulsed discharges can provide information on how negative ions can be used for surface processing. Negative ions are ordinarily trapped inside the plasma volume, but pulsed plasmas allow for efficient negative ion extraction during the afterglow period because the negative ion to electron concentration ratio can increase dramatically. In addition, high-density sources can facilitate negative ion extraction because of their thin sheaths and remote position with respect to the processing wafer. In either case, the first negative ions to reach a processing surface are likely to have crossed the bulk of the sheath region as electrons and attached near the surface.