Probing Ni+ metastable state production in sputtering glow discharges with the use of diagnostic reactions

- Ion mobility spectrometry indicates Ni+ (3d9) and Ni+(3d84s1) in d.c. discharges.
- Charge-transfer bracketing indicates Ni+ states as high as 2P.
- Evidence for additional excited states below 2P is observed.
- Excited Ni+ state distributions are independent of the discharge gas.