Plasma electron temperatures can range between ~6,000 K and ~10,000 K and are usually several orders of magnitude greater than the temperature of the neutral species. Argon ICP plasma discharge temperatures are typically ~5,500 to 6,500 K and are therefore comparable to that reached at the surface (photosphere) of the sun (~4,500 K to ~6,000 K). ICP discharges are of relatively high electron density, on the order of 10 cm. As a result, ICP discharges have wide applications where a high-density plasma (HDP) is needed.
* ICP-AES, a type of atomic emission spectroscopy.
* ICP-MS, a type of mass spectrometry.
* ICP-RIE, a type of reactive-ion etching.
Another benefit of ICP discharges is that they are relatively free of contamination, because the electrodes are completely outside the reaction chamber. By contrast, in a capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), the electrodes are often placed inside the reactor and are thus exposed to the plasma and subsequent reactive chemical species.