Inductively coupled plasma

[5] In planar geometry, the electrode is a length of flat metal wound like a spiral (or coil).

In half-toroidal geometry, it is a toroidal solenoid cut along its main diameter to two equal halves.

According to the Faraday–Lenz's law of induction, this creates azimuthal electromotive force in the rarefied gas:

,[6] leading to the formation of the electron trajectories[5] providing a plasma generation.

The dependence on r suggests that the gas ion motion is most intense in the outer region of the flame, where the temperature is the greatest.

The ICP torch consumes c. 1250–1550 W of power, and this depends on the element composition of the sample (due to different ionization energies).

Temperatures of argon ICP plasma discharge are typically ~5,500 to 6,500 K[citation needed] and are therefore comparable to those 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 1015 cm−3[citation needed].

As a result, ICP discharges have wide applications wherever a high-density plasma (HDP) is needed.

Another benefit of ICP discharges is that they are relatively free of contamination, because the electrodes are completely outside the reaction chamber.