Implementation and testing of a laser induced fluorescence system for the characterization of a multipolar electron cyclotron resonance plasma reactor

In materials processing using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasmas the ion energy distribution is important in determining the processing rate and magnitude of any material damage. This thesis describes the concepts and implementation of the laser induced fluorescence technique as a non-intrusive measure of these distributions at various spatial locations and under various experimental conditions in a multipolar electron cyclotron resonance plasma.; This thesis begins with a discussion of the theoretical basis of laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy and its applicability to ion energy and ion density studies in an ECR plasma. With this background the ion energy within the source and processing regions of the plasma reactor is measured. Measured Doppler shifted energy distributions indicate plasma potential variation from the source to the processing region. Finally, relative metastable ion density measurements are described at various locations within the source and processing regions of the plasma reactor.