NOTE ON THE TEMPERATURE-MEASUREMENTS IN SURFACE-TREATMENT REACTORS USING THE SPECTROSCOPIC METHOD

The authors investigate the validity of the rotational distribution of N2+(B) to N2+(X) emissions as a tool to determine the substrate temperature in surface treatment reactors. They show that the method is not valid for processes involving pure nitrogen at p> 1.3 × 102Pa. In N2-H2mixtures, however, they show that the technique can be used for temperature measurements for all pressure intervals normally used in ion nitriding treatments. This discrepancy is interpreted in terms of excitation paths of the N2+(B) state in the plasma reactor. © 1990 IOP Publishing Ltd.