Abstract
Plasma parameters such as space potential, electron temperature and electron density in discharge of Al vapor and Ar gas mixture for dc ion plating were measured by means of an electrostatic probe technique. Care was taken to eliminate difficulties associated with probe contamination by deposition. The atomic density of evaporated Al was also measured by means of optical absorption spectroscopy. As a result, we found that the electron temperature and the space potential decreased while the electron density increased with the progression of Al evaporation. The ionization degree of Al was estimated to be a few percent from the electron density and the atomic density of Al.
