Investigations of the electron-induced ablation in the surface wave plasma

High-density plasmas produced by the microwave power coupled in surface wave modes have been studied in order to apply to the material processing. Small targets biased positively beyond a transition voltage are found to emit their materials to the plasma and to form a plume, as seen in Laser ablation, even at the electron current of 2.5 A with the target voltage as low as 60 V. Deposition of films, e.g. carbon and metal oxides was performed on substrates exposed near the plume in the plasma. The relevance of the target current density to the plume formation is addressed. Probe measurements of the plasma parameters lead to an interpretation of the condition for the plume to be induced in terms of the particle balance between the net electron current to the target and the theoretical Bohm ion current to the vessel wall.