Chlorine-based high density plasmas, commonly used in the etching of elemental and compound semiconductors, are characterized using mass spectrometry, optical emission spectroscopy, and electrostatic probes. Plasma fluxes are characterized by three-dimensional Langmuir probe measurements and optical emission spectroscopy. The flux is further characterized at the substrate platen by mass spectrometry to determine its makeup in terms of charged or neutral species and atomic or molecular species. Langmuir probe investigations show variations in electron temperature (2-6 eV), plasma density (1 x 10(10) to 1 x 10(12) cm(-3)), and plasma potential (5-25 V) as process conditions (microwave power, total pressure, and fraction of Cl-2 in Ar) and measurement location are varied. Concurrent optical emission spectroscopy measurements of ionized species are in general agreement with Langmuir probe results. Further, optical emission spectroscopy of neutral and ionized species provides global insight into the variation of atomic/molecular fractions in the plasma as it is transported to the substrate processing region. At the substrate, mass spectrometric characterizations show Cl+ and Ar+ dominating the flux for low pressure and high powers, while Cl-2 and Ar dominate at high pressure and low power. For Cl-2 fractions greater than 25% molecular chlorine begins to dominate the flux to the substrate. These observations of processing space are discussed with respect to implications on semiconductor etching and regions most suitable to high rate, anisotropic processing conditions are identified. [S0734-2101(99)02701-3].