Influence of ion current on plasma electron temperature and density determined by probe methods

It is established that the electron temperature $(T_e)$ of plasma as determined from the slope of the current-voltage (I–U) characteristic or from the second derivative of the probe current (Druyvesteyn method) is overstated. By taking into account the ion current contribution, it is possible to refine the $T_e$ value determined from the slope of the I–U curve. Analysis confirms that the concentration of ions determined from I–U curves for a collisional regime in the near-probe space-charge region is also overstated.