Diagnostics of a Multicusp-Assisted Inductively-Coupled Radio-Frequency Plasma Source for Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation
In this article, we present a detailed characterisation of a multicusp-assisted inductively coupled RF plasma source for plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). Using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and RF-compensated Langmuir probe diagnostics, we measured ion temperature T i and drift velocity v z in argon plasmas near an immersed electrode. The multicusp configuration enhances plasma density at low pressure, enabling stable operation down to 0.8 mTorr. Timeaveraged measurements show no detectable perturbation near the pulsed electrode, indicating full plasma recovery between high-voltage pulses. LIF-derived potential profiles match Riemann's presheath theory, and ion velocity distributions reveal acceleration consistent with sheath dynamics. These results support the use of LIF for steady-state characterisation of the bulk and presheath regions in PIII systems.