Time-resolved microplasma electron dynamics in a pulsed microwave discharge

Microwave-driven microplasmas are typically operated in a steady-state mode in which the electron temperature is constant in time. Transient measurements of excitation temperature and helium emission lines, however, suggest that short microwave pulses can be used to increase the electron energy by 20-30%. Time-resolved optical emission spectrometry reveals an initial burst of light emission from the igniting microplasma. This emission overshoot is also correlated with a measured increase in excitation temperature. Excimer emission lags atomic emission, however, and does not overshoot. A simple model shows that an increase in electron temperature is responsible for the overshoot of atomic optical emission at the beginning of each microwave pulse. The formation of dimers and subsequent excimer emission requires slower three-body collisions with the excited rare gas atoms, which is why excimer emission does not overshoot the steady-state values. Similar results are observed in argon gas. The overshoot in electron temperature may be used to manipulate the collisional production of species in microplasmas using short, low-duty cycle microwave pulses.