No abstract

The plasmas generated by co‐action of electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave discharge of N2 gas and pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of a B4C target were spectroscopically characterized using time‐ and space‐resolved optical emission spectroscopy (OES). The plasmas exhibit rapid variations in time and space and the optical emissions of the plasmas show unique characteristics in comparison with the plasmas generated solely by ECR discharge or PLA. At the early stages of the expansion of the PLA boron/carbon plasma in the ECR nitrogen plasma, the plasma emission is dominated by emission lines from atomic and ionic boron and carbon which decrease rapidly during the expansion of the PLA plasma, and then evolves to be dominant in emission bands from nitrogen molecules and nitrogen molecular ions. The emission bands of the C2 Swan system and the CN violet system were also distinguished. The processes including gas‐phase reactions occurring in the plasmas were discussed based on the characteristics of the plasma emissions.