Nonequilibrium vibrational excitation of H2 in radiofrequency discharges:: A theoretical approach based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy measurements -: art. no. 073301

Vibrational and rotational experimental temperatures of molecular hydrogen obtained by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy in radiofrequency inductive plasmas have been analyzed and interpreted in terms of vibration, electron, dissociation-recombination, and attachment kinetics by using a sophisticated kinetic model recently developed. The analysis clarifies the role of atomic hydrogen in affecting the vibrational content of the molecules. Theoretical plasma composition and population and electron energy distributions are presented as a function of the recombination coefficient gamma(H) of atomic hydrogen on the surfaces. The agreement between theoretical and experimental results is achieved for recombination coefficients consistent with those found in the literature. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.