Analysis of the N2O dissociation in a RF discharge reactor

In situ diagnostic measurements and reactor modelling are used to study the N 2 O dissociation by radio frequency (RF) discharges. Measurements are undertaken at 0.5 and 1 Torr gas pressure with a RF power density varying from 4.2 to 35.7 mW cm -2 . The reactor modelling involves an electrical discharge model coupled to hydrodynamic and mass transfer models. Only an electrical discharge model accounting for the negative ion conversion from O - to NO - and the subsequent electron detachment allow a good coherence between the measured and predicted power densities. The electron-N 2 O dissociation cross sections are first fitted in the present work and then the corresponding dissociation rates, obtained from the electrical model, are used in the mass transfer model which includes eight species (N 2 O, N 2 , O 2 , NO, NO 2 , N, O( 3 P) and O( 1 D)). The corresponding results are in good agreement with the experimental ones related to the production of N 2 and O 2 and the consumption of N 2 O. Furthermore, the reactor model results show that N 2 and O 2 are the most abundant products (>10 14 molecules/cm 3 ) at 1 Torr.