Search

The fluid description is widely used for the multi-dimensional modeling of low temperature plasmas with complex chemistries due to their relative low computational cost. It relies, however, on a series of simplifying assumptions and some truncation of the moment equations for describing the non-equilibrium between the electrons, positive ions, negative ions, and the neutrals. In this paper, the classical assumption of isothermal negative ions is revisited for electronegative plasmas and, more particularly, for the fluid modeling of the transition between the plasma and its sheath. To do so, and in contrast to previous studies, the energy balance equation for the negative ions is also computed, and it allows us to derive the polytropic coefficient γ of the negative ions in addition to one of the positive ions. Strong variations in the sheath and presheath of the negative ions temperature and their polytropic coefficient are observed. The polytropic coefficient is shown to be a strongly varying function of space having for consequence that the negative ions are isothermal only in a very narrow extension of the presheath. For the case considered in this paper, both positive and negative ion flows are nearly adiabatic at the sheath-edge and become adiabatic inside the sheath. This paper shows that classical fluid modeling assumptions need to be verified for each system under consideration, most particularly while modeling the transition from plasma to a wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In negative ion sources for the ITER Neutral Beam Injection system, the co-extraction of electrons is one of the main limiting factors. The current of co-extracted electrons can be decreased by applying a positive bias voltage to the Plasma Grid (PG) with respect to its source walls. Simulations using three-dimensional Particle-in-Cell Monte Carlo Collision (3D-PIC MCC) model are a powerful tool for studying the extraction region of such ion sources. However, the inclusion of both PG and source walls in the simulation domain is difficult due to numerical constraints. This study uses the 3D-PIC MCC code ONIX to explore the effects of particle injection models on plasma characteristics, using a flux injection model to regulate particle influx for a flat transition in potential from the bulk plasma to the simulation domain. Biasing of the PG above floating potential is possible using the flux injection scheme and results in a notable reduction in co-extracted electrons, corroborating with established experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent developments in nanosecond pulsed power supplies facilitate the emission of high density electron bursts but their safe operation demands avoiding breakdowns. Using the theoretical and numerical modeling of the electron emission phenomena from a tip (micro-protrusion), the breakdown threshold (pre-breakdown) is analyzed considering it as the highest value of the voltage preserving the system out of the thermo-emission instability regime. However, the space charge that builds up in front of the tip limits the performance of these electron sources by decreasing the local electric field and consequently the thermo-field emission as well as the temperature of the emissive surface. Hence, it is found that the system can safely hold higher voltages (without breakdown) in the presence of dense space charge. In direct current, for a titanium elliptic tip, the highest operation voltage increases by about 15%, whereas for a tungsten hyperbolic tip, it increases by 70%. Remarkably, the emitted current close to the pre-breakdown voltage stays unchanged with or without taking into account the space charge. Surprisingly, when very short pulses (3 ns) are applied to a tungsten hyperbolic tip, the pre-breakdown voltage additionally increases by 30%, and the Coulomb screening, very effective in front of the tip apex, enlarges the electron emission area by 60%, releasing about 1.3 times more electrons compared to vacuum emission (without the space charge). Moreover, the ring effect, experimentally discovered by Dyke and Trolan [Phys. Rev. 89, 799 (1953)] on the radial electron density distribution, can be microscopically observed and understood with your model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In magnetron sputtering, only a fraction of the sputtered target material leaving the ionization region is directed toward the substrate. This fraction may be different for ions and neutrals of the target material as the neutrals and ions can exhibit a different spread as they travel from the target surface toward the substrate. This difference can be significant in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) where a substantial fraction of the sputtered material is known to be ionized. Geometrical factors or transport parameters that account for the loss of produced film-forming species to the chamber walls are needed for experimental characterization and modeling of the magnetron sputtering discharge. Here, we experimentally determine transport parameters for ions and neutral atoms in a HiPIMS discharge with a titanium target for various magnet configurations. Transport parameters are determined to a typical substrate, with the same diameter (100 mm) as the cathode target, and located at a distance 70 mm from the target surface. As the magnet configuration and/or the discharge current are changed, the transport parameter for neutral atoms ξ tn remains roughly the same, while transport parameters for ions ξ ti vary greatly. Furthermore, the relative ion-to-neutral transport factors, ξ ti / ξ tn , that describe the relative deposited fractions of target material ions and neutrals onto the substrate, are determined to be in the range from 0.4 to 1.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxygen dynamics in a reactive Ar/O2 high power impulse magnetron sputtering discharge has been studied using a new reactive ionization region model. The aim has been to identify the dominating physical and chemical reactions in the plasma and on the surfaces of the reactor affecting the oxygen plasma chemistry. We explore the temporal evolution of the density of the ground state oxygen molecule O2(Xµ ∑-g, the singlet metastable oxygen molecules O2 (aµΔg) and O2(bµ ∑-g, the oxygen atom in the ground state O(³P), the metastable oxygen atom O(¹D), the positive ions O+2 and O+, and the negative ion O-. We furthermore investigate the reaction rates for the gain and loss of these species. The density of atomic oxygen increases significantly as we move from the metal mode to the transition mode, and finally into the compound (poisoned) mode. The main gain rate responsible for the increase is sputtering of atomic oxygen from the oxidized target. Both in the poisoned mode and in the transition mode, sputtering makes up more than 80% of the total gain rate for atomic oxygen. We also investigate the possibility of depositing stoichiometric TiO2 in the transition mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic field is a key feature that distinguishes magnetron sputtering from simple diode sputtering. It effectively increases the residence time of electrons close to the cathode surface and by that increases the energy efficiency of the discharge. This becomes apparent in high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) discharges, as small changes in the magnetic field can result in large variations in the discharge characteristics, notably the peak discharge current and/or the discharge voltage during a pulse. Here, we analyze the influence of the magnetic field on the electron density and temperature, how the discharge voltage is split between the cathode sheath and the ionization region, and the electron heating mechanism in a HiPIMS discharge. We relate the results to the energy efficiency of the discharge and discuss them in terms of the probability of target species ionization. The energy efficiency of the discharge is related to the fraction of pulse power absorbed by the electrons. Ohmic heating of electrons in the ionization region leads to higher energy efficiency than electron energization in the sheath. We find that the electron density and ionization probability of the sputtered species depend largely on the discharge current. The results suggest ways to adjust electron density and electron temperature using the discharge current and the magnetic field, respectively, and how they influence the ionization probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraction of negatively charged particles from a negative ion source is one of the crucial issues in the development of the neutral beam injector system for future experimental reactor ITER. Full 3D electrostatic particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision code-ONIX [S. Mochalskyy et al., Nucl. Fusion 50, 105011 (2010)]-is used to simulate the hydrogen plasma behaviour and the extracted particle features in the vicinity of the plasma grid, both sides of the aperture. It is found that the contribution to the extracted negative ion current of ions born in the volume is small compared with that of ions created at the plasma grid walls. The parametric study with respect to the rate of negative ions released from the walls shows an optimum rate. Beyond this optimum, a double layer builds-up by the negative ion charge density close to the grid aperture surface reducing thus extraction probability, and therefore the extracted current. The effect of the extraction potential and magnetic field magnitudes on the extraction is also discussed. Results are in good agreement with available experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed systems are extensively used to produce active species such as atoms, radicals, excited states, etc. The tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TD-LAS) is successfully used to quantify the density of absorbing species, but especially for stationary or slow changing systems. The time resolved-direct absorption profile (TR-DAP) measurement method by TD-LAS, with time resolution of μs is proposed here as an extension of the regular use of diode laser absorption spectroscopy. The spectral narrowness of laser diodes, especially in the blue range (∼0.01 pm), combined with the nanosecond fast trigger of the magnetron pulsed plasma and long trace recording on the oscilloscope (period of second scale) permit the detection of the sputtered titanium metal evolution in the afterglow (∼ms). TR-DAP method can follow the time-dependence of the temperature (Doppler profile) and the density (deduced from the absorbance) of any medium and heavy species in a pulsed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertically oriented single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) and few walled nanotubes (FWNTs) have been grown by electronic cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) on silica flat substrates. The impact of the plasma parameters on SWNT and FWNT growth has been investigated using two different etching gas mixtures, namely, C2H2/NH3 and C2H2/H2 with various ratios and applied bias voltages. Kinetic studies are also proposed in order to describe the FWNT growth mechanism by plasma techniques. A key role played by the reactive gas (NH3 and H2) is observed in the PECVD process, contrary to multiwalled nanotube growth. It is demonstrated that the balance between FWNT growth versus FWNT etching can be widely modulated by varying the gas mixture and bias voltage. It is shown that the use of hydrogen for hydrocarbon gas dilution restricts the destruction of SWNT and FWNT by the plasma species (ions and radicals). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]