Laser-induced fluorescence in the CH (B – X) and CH (A – X) electronic transitions is used to measure absolute number density versus position for CH radicals in the plume of a 25-Torr hydrogen/argon/methane (0.8:1:0.005) dc arcjet during the chemical vapor deposition of diamond film. The laser-induced-fluorescence signal is calibrated with argon Rayleigh scattering, and the resultant concentration of the CH radical in the center of the arcjet plume is found to be (3.5 ± 0.8) × 10¹² molecules/cm³. The characterization of the plasma plume shows three different regions in the reacting gas: nozzle, plume, and boundary layer. We observe substantial differences in spatial distribution of gas temperature, collisional quenching, and CH number density among these regions.

© 1997 Optical Society of America

[Optical Society of America ]

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