Spatial variation behaviors of argon inductively coupled plasma during discharge mode transition

A Langmuir probe and an ICCD are employed to study the discharge mode transition in Ar inductively coupled plasma. Electron density and plasma emission intensity are measured during the E （capacitive discharge） to H （inductive discharge） mode transitions at different pressures. It is found that plasma exists with a low electron density and a weak emission intensity in the E mode, while it has a high electron density and a strong emission intensity in the H mode. Meanwhile, the plasma emission intensity spatial （2D an asymmetric profile in the E mode. Moreover, the at high pressure, but increase almost continuously at image） profile is symmetrical in the H mode, but the 2D image is electron density and emission intensity jump up discontinuously the E to H mode transition under low pressure.