The chapter, fundamental data for the electrical discharge and plasma of nitrogen, provides the latest data of collision cross-sections between electrons and nitrogen molecules, and also introduces the data bases in which we can find the recent data of the drift velocity, diffusion coefficient, and so on of electrons and ions, and reaction coefficients of various active species and ions. In the chapter, the latest diagnostic method of nitrogen plasma, the LIF method and others to measure the molecules excited to metastable states electronically or vibrationally are intensively described. The method of spectroscopic analysis of nitrogen plasma is presented precisely. The chapter, new aspects of the electrical discharge and plasma of nitrogen, deals with new types of nitrogen discharge under a high pressure, and a discharge assisted by strong laser beam. The chapter, the recent developments of simulation technique of nitrogen discharge, describes the latest studies using the Boltzman equation analysis, rate equation analysis containing the effect of metastable molecules and numerical simulations of APGD( Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge). The final chapter, the active part of nitrogen plasma in plasma process, presents the protection techniques of the environment, surface treatment techniques of metals and plastics and new technology in the micro-electronics techniques. Especially it is shown that nitrogen plasma has a great potential in the field of micro-electronics.
©2006. The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan