A numerical method for determining highly precise electron energy distribution functions from Langmuir probe characteristics

Electron energy distribution functions (EEDFs) were determined from probe characteristics using a numerical ac superimposed method with a distortion correction of high derivative terms by varying amplitude of a sinusoidal perturbation voltage superimposed onto the dc sweep voltage, depending on the related electron energy. Low amplitude perturbation applied around the plasma potential represented the low energy peak of the EEDF exactly, and high amplitude perturbation applied around the floating potential was effective to suppress noise or distortion of the probe characteristic, which is fatal to the tail electron distribution. When a small random noise was imposed over the stabilized prove characteristic, the numerical differentiation method was not suitable to determine the EEDF, while the numerical ac superimposed method was able to obtain a highly precise EEDF. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3511445]