Sputtered metal source for rate coefficient measurements of asymmetric charge transfer reactions

Complete text of publication follows. Asymmetric charge transfer (ACT) reactions between noble gas ions and metal atoms play an important role in numerous glow discharge applications. Due to the sputtering effect of ions impinging on the cathode surface significant metal density can be created in the cathode area of dc noble gas discharges. These metal atoms are then ionized and excited in the negative glow region, which is utilized in glow discharge spectroscopy (GDS) applications. ACT represents an important source of excited metal ions in the negative glow. Numerical modeling of the cathode region of a sputtering discharge requires rate coefficient values of ACT reactions as input data [Bogaerts et al. J. Anal. Atom. Spectrom. 11 (1996) 841]. There are rate coefficient values available in the literature only for volatile metals - in combination with different noble gas ions - that can be evaporated at relatively low temperatures (e.g. Hg, Zn, Cd etc.). However, data for other metals (Cu, Fe, Ag, etc.) have not been measured yet. The aim of this work is to build a metal source that can be applied for rate coefficient measurements of ACT reactions. The new sputtered metal source operates at room temperature creating homogeneous spatial distribution of metal atoms in a 9 cm3 region. Four hollow-cathode discharges - placed symmetrically around the central region - provide the needed metal density in the order of 5 x 1011 cm-3 as determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The future work focuses on the ACT rate coefficient measurements. The authors kindly acknowledge the support by the MRTN-CT-035459.