Time Resolved Microwave Interferometry Measurement of the Electron Density in a Pulsed 1,3-Butadiene Discharge

Pulsed plasmas containing organic precursors are becoming increasingly common for multiple applications. To understand the nature of such discharges, in-situ time resolved microwave interferometry measurements of the electron density in a 60 W pulsed inductively coupled 1,3-butadiene discharge have been made. Measurements were also made for continuous wave plasmas at 40, 50, 60 and 70 W power for comparison. The data shows that the time averaged electron densities are independent of pulse width at a particular duty cycle. In addition, time averaged values increase approximately linearly with increasing duty cycle. Such linearity in average density is tied to the ambipolar loss rate. This knowledge is important for understanding the growth kinetics of plasma polymerized films.