Optical and electric probe diagnostics in low-pressure nitrogen-argon and oxygen-argon inductively coupled discharges

Experiments with a Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy combined with actinometry were conducted in inductively coupled rf 13.56 MHz N$_{2}$-Ar and O$_{2}$-Ar discharges under the pressures in the range of 1 - 30 mTorr and the applied rf powers in the range of 200 - 600 W. The Ar content in the gas mixture was varied from 5{\%} to 80{\%}. The effect of the Ar content on the plasma parameters and dissociation fraction was investigated. The variation of the intensities of various spectral lines was investigated. The electron energy probability function (EEPF), the plasma density and the electron temperature were measured Several methods of the evaluation of the probe I-V data were utilized. It is found that the dissociation fraction increases with the power and the Ar contents The plasma density is found to increase with the Ar content and with applied power while the electron temperature decreases with these parameters.