Detailed plasma potential measurements in a radio-frequency expanding plasma obtained from various electrostatic probes

On-axis plasma potential measurements have been made with an emissive probe in a low pressure !0.044 Pa" rf expanding plasma containing an ion beam. The beam is detected with a retarding field energy analyzer !RFEA", and is seen to disappear at high pressure !0.39 Pa". The emissive probe measurements are in very good agreement with corresponding measurements made with two separate RFEAs, and the results indicate that the floating potential of the strongly emitting probe gives an accurate measure of the plasma potential under the present conditions. © 2009 American Institute of Physics. #DOI: 10.1063/1.3125314$