Studies of Ion Kinetic-Energy Distributions in the Gaseous Electronics Conference RF Reference Cell

A review is presented of kinetic-energy distribution measurements for ions striking grounded surfaces in a Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) rf Reference Cell. Two experimental arrangements that have been used to measure ion energies in the GEC Cell are described, and a comparison of their performance under different operating conditions is presented. Significant results from ion-energy analysis in the Reference Cell are highlighted, including evidence of effects due to surface conditions on ion sampling, verification of electrical behavior of the cell, inferences about ion-molecule reactions indicated by the shapes of measured ion kinetic-energy distributions (IEDs), and the use of measured IEDs for the validation of theoretical models. The paper concludes with a detailed study of IEDs measured for rf plasmas generated in mixtures of argon and oxygen, using both experimental arrangements.