Mass Spectra Fitting as Diagnostic Tool for Magnetron Plasmas Generated in Ar and Ar/H₂ Gases with Tungsten Targets

In this work, we describe an ion mass spectra processing method from plasmas generated in Ar and Ar/H₂ gases in contact with tungsten surfaces. For this purpose, advanced model functions, i.e., those suitable for fitting the experimental mass peak profiles, are used. In addition, the peak positions, peak shapes, abundances, and ion ratios are the parameters considered for building these functions. In the case of a multielement magnetron target, the calibration of the mass spectra with respect to the peak shape and position on the m/z scale is helpful in reducing the number of free variables during fitting. The mass spectra fitting procedure is validated by the obtained isotopic abundances of W ions in W/Ar magnetron plasmas, which, in turn, are comparable with their natural abundance. Moreover, its usefulness is exemplified by calculating the ratio of WH⁺/W⁺ ions in W/Ar/H₂ plasma. This work paves the way for obtaining relevant results regarding ion species in plasma even in the case of using general-purpose mass spectrometers with limited resolution and accuracy. Although this method is illustrated for the W/Ar/H₂ plasma system, it can be easily extendable to any plasma type.