H-mode inductive coupling plasma for PVC surface treatment

An inductively coupled plasma machine has been modified to be able to apply working powers in the order of 1 kW, thus switching to the real inductive H-mode. The plasma is generated by applying a 13.56 MHz radio-frequency to a λ/4 antenna outside the plasma chamber in low pressure conditions. The working gas is argon at pressure in the range from 10 to 100 Pa. With this high power source we have been able to perform plasma etching on a poly(vinyl-chloride) (PVC) film. In particular the effect of the plasma is the selective removal of hydrogen and chlorine from the sample surface. The action of the high power plasma on the sample has been proved to be much more effective than that of the low power one. Results similar to those obtained with the low power machine at about 300 W for 120 min, have been obtained with the high power source at about 600 W for 30 min. The superficial generation of a conductive layer of double C=C bonds was obtained. The samples have been investigated by means of ATR spectroscopy, FIB/SEM microscopy and micro-electrical measurements, which revealed the change in charge conductivity.     

Study on the RF Power Necessary to Ignite Plasma for the ICP Test Facility at HUST

An Radio‐Frequency (RF) Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) ion source test facility has been successfully developed at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). As part of a study on hydrogen plasma, the influence of three main operation parameters on the RF power necessary to ignite plasma was investigated. At 6 Pa, the RF power necessary to ignite plasma influenced little by the filament heating current from 5 A to 9 A. The RF power necessary to ignite plasma increased rapidly with the operation pressure decreasing from 8 Pa to 4 Pa. The RF power necessary to ignite plasma decreased with the number of coil turns from 6 to 10. During the experiments, plasma was produced with the electron density of the order of 10¹⁶m^–3 and the electron temperature of around 4 eV. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

气压对激光烧蚀Al等离子体中粒子速度的影响

在背景气压为8× 10-3— 100Pa范围内 ,通过测量脉冲激光烧蚀平面Al靶产生的等离子体辐射谱的时间分辨特征 ,比较空间不同点辐射的飞行时间轮廓的相对延迟 ,从而得到辐射粒子速度及其空间分布 .利用绝热膨胀的理论和激波模型分别对背景气压小于 0 .6Pa的结果和 5Pa时的结果作了分析 ,并得出激波的波面基本上为柱对称. With the ambient gas pressure in the range from 8×10 -3 to 10 2 Pa, Q-switched YAG laser ablates plane aluminum target and plasma are produced. Optical emission spectroscopy is used to carry out time-resolved analysis of atomic particles. Using the resonance transition of Al I 396.1 nm (3p 2P-4s 2S), the spatiol velocity distribution of Al I has been obtained under the laser energies of 160 mJ/pulse when the ablating size is about 200 μm. The velocity is at the order of 10 6 cm/s...     

Effects of discharge current and voltage on the high density of metastable helium atoms

Both hollow-cathode and Penning-type discharges were adopted to excite helium atoms to a metastable state. Experimental data indicate that Penning discharge is more suitable for generating high fractions of metastables in a low-density helium beam for laser-induced fluorescence technique in measuring electric fields at the edge of a plasma. The metastable density increases with increasing helium gas pressure in the range of 1.33×10^{-2}－66.7Pa. The highest metastable density of 3.8×10^{16}m^{-3} is observed at a static gas pressure of 66.7Pa. An approximately linear relationship between the density of metastable helium atoms and the plasma discharge current is observed. Magnetic field plays a very important role in producing a high density of metastable atoms in Penning discharge.     

Electron temperature and concentration in the laser erosion plasma of lead and gallium

Time-averaged values of the electron temperature and concentration at distances of 1 and 7 mm from a target have been determined from the emission characteristics of the laser erosion plasma of lead and gallium. The plasma was produced in a vacuum (3–12 Pa) as the corresponding target was exposed to radiation of a neodymium laser (τ = 20 ns, λ = 1.06 μm, f = 12 Hz, W = 10⁸–10⁹ W/cm²). The energy distribution of excited atomic states has been analyzed. The time dependence of the electron temperature at a distance of 7 mm from the target is presented.     

环境气氛对高能量激光诱导等离子体辐射特性的影响

采用高能量钕玻璃激光器(～25 J)激发诱导金属等离子体,研究了环境气体及其压力对等离子体辐射特性的影响。实验结果表明,相同压强下,氩气中等离子体的谱线强度明显高于空气中等离子体的谱线强度;0.8×105Pa氩气条件下,光谱标钢等离子体的谱线强度达到了最大值;随着环境气压的增大,谱线自吸明显增强,当环境气压达到(0.8～0.93)×105Pa时,标样铝的AlⅠ308.22 nm和AlⅠ309.27 nm两条谱线产生了严重自蚀;另外,等离子体的激发温度也随环境气压的增大而增大,0.93×105Pa氩气条件下标钢等离子体的激发温度相对于0.43×105Pa时升高了近1 500 K。     

Arc Cathode Processes in the Transition Region between Vacuum Arcs and Gaseous Arcs

The cathode processes of electric ares on cleaned Cu cathodes were investigated in the transition region between vacuum and atmospheric pressure (argon). The plasma density in the cathode plane was estimated by probe measurements to be n = r are current, r – distance from the spot). It was observed that several cathode spot parameters have an extremum at p ～ 10⁴ Pa. The crater diameter has a minimum independently of the cathode temperature. The diffusion constant of the chaotic motion determined by framing photographs was found to have a maximum. Some additional, large displacements occurred at that pressure. The diameter of the bright plasma cloud obtained by open-shutter photographs showed a maximum, the current per spot was found to decrease from 20 A in vacuum to 10 A at atmospheric pressure. It is thus concluded that the spot with the smallest crater radius and a low current per spot, occurring at ～ 10⁴ Pa, represents the single spot, whereas the spot at higher pressures, and probably also in vacuum, has a complicated nature where the large craters are formed by a cooperation of single spots.     

Optical characteristics of a low-density electric discharge bromine vapor plasma in the UV-VUV spectral region

The emission characteristics of a glow discharge in bromine vapor have been investigated in the spectral region 130–350 nm. The current-voltage characteristics and the emission spectra of the glow discharge with an interelectrode gap of 10 cm and a discharge tube 14 mm in inner diameter have been studied. The emission characteristics have been optimized as functions of the bromine vapor pressure and the power deposited into the plasma. It has been shown that, at a low pressure of the bromine vapor, the emission spectrum of the lamp is determined by the spectral lines of atomic bromine in the range 158–164 nm, which are analogous to the known lines (such as those at 206.2 nm) of atomic iodine in an iodine-containing glow discharge plasma. As the pressure of the bromine vapor increases above 100 Pa, the intensity of these emission lines of the bromine atom decreases and the lamp spectrum is formed by bromine molecular bands in the form of a continuum with sharp boundaries (λ = 165–300 nm).     

Electric and plasma characteristics of RF discharge plasma actuation under varying pressures

The electric and plasma characteristics of RF discharge plasma actuation under varying pressure have been investigated experimentally. As the pressure increases, the shapes of charge–voltage Lissajous curves vary, and the discharge energy increases. The emission spectra show significant difference as the pressure varies. When the pressure is 1000 Pa,the electron temperature is estimated to be 4.139 e V, the electron density and the vibrational temperature of plasma are peak4.71×10~(11)cm~(-3) and 1.27 e V, respectively. The ratio of spectral lines I391.4/peak I380.5which describes the electron temperature hardly changes when the pressure varies between 5000–30000 Pa, while it increases remarkably with the pressure below 5000 Pa, indicating a transition from filamentary discharge to glow discharge. The characteristics of emission spectrum are obviously influenced by the loading power. With more loading power, both of the illumination and emission spectrum intensity increase at 10000 Pa. The pin–pin electrode RF discharge is arc-like at power higher than 33 W, which results in a macroscopic air temperature increase.     

Calcium phosphate coatings deposited by laser ablation at 355 nm under different substrate temperatures and water vapour pressures

Calcium phosphate coatings were deposited on Ti-6Al-4V by laser ablation with a 355 nm Nd:YAG laser at different substrate temperatures. Two series of coatings were deposited at water vapour pressures of 10 and 45 Pa by varying the substrate temperature from 20 to 600 °C. Characterisation of their structure and adhesion has been carried out in order to study the effect of the deposition temperature and the water vapour pressure on the coating properties. It has been found that a high temperature favours the synthesis of crystalline phases. Ca rich phases are synthesised at 10 Pa while hydroxyapatite is obtained at 45 Pa with some alfa tricalcium phosphate. Scratch test measurements have shown, that the coating-substrate adhesion for coatings deposited at 45 Pa is remarkably increased at substrate temperatures higher than 400 °C, but the highest adhesion has been found for amorphous coatings obtained at 10 Pa and 200 °C.     

低气压下土壤中Pb等离子体光谱特性

用Nd∶YAG激光诱导激发土壤等离子体,研究了环境压力(在1.01×105与1×102 Pa之间)对土壤等离子体辐射特性及元素检出限的影响。结果表明,随着气压的降低,土壤等离子体的谱线强度、信背比先增大后减小,最高均可达常压下的1.69倍;电子密度同样呈现先增大后减小的趋势,在气压8×104 Pa下达到最大值3.56×1016 cm-3,比常压下高出1.5×1015 cm-3;在气压8×104 Pa下诱导激发等离子体发射光谱与常压下相比有较好的稳定性和较高的精密度。20次重复实验得到土壤等离子体分析线信号强度的相对标准偏差为1.1%,明显低于常压下的3.5%,低气压下稳定性显著提高。应用内标法对自制土壤中Pb元素建立定标曲线,计算得到气压8×104 Pa下土壤中Pb元素的检出限为57.27 mg·kg-1,较常压下降低了39.23 mg·kg-1。表明适当的低压环境可以有效提高LIBS的光谱检测灵敏度,改善元素分析的检出限以及增加光谱定量分析的准确度和精密度。     

Formation of a pulsed electron beam in a plasmacathode system under forevacuum pressures

Results of an experimental study of the features of the production of pulsed beams by a plasma electron source operating in the forevacuum pressure range (5–15 Pa) are presented. For this pressure range, the emission properties of the plasma are substantially affected by the backward ion flow generated in the regions of formation and transport of the electron beam. It has been shown that in experimental conditions the ratio of the current of backward ions to the current of the electron beam can reach 10%, which is an order of magnitude greater than the same parameter for electron sources operating in the pressure range that is conventional for devices of this type (0.01–0.1 Pa). The principal factors that impose an upper limit on the beam current in a plasma-cathode source are analyzed.     

工作压强对射频辉光放电H2/C4H8等离子状态的影响

利用辉光放电技术采用等离子体质谱诊断的方法研究了不同工作 压强下H₂/C₄H₈混合气体等离子体中 主要正离子成分及其能量的变化规律, 并分析了压强对H₂/C₄H₈混合气体的离解机理以及主要正离子形成过程的影响. 结果表明: 随着工作压强的增加, 碳氢碎片离子的浓度和能量均逐渐减小. 当工作压强为5 Pa时, H₂/C₄H₈混合气体等离子体中C₃H₅⁺相对浓度最大; 压强为10 Pa时, C₃H₃⁺相对浓度最大; 压强为15, 20 Pa时, C₂H₅⁺相对浓度最大; 压强为25 Pa时, C₄H₉⁺相对浓度最大. 对H₂/C₄H₈等离子体中的主要组分及其能量分布所进行的定性分析, 将为H₂/C₄H₈混合气体辉光放电聚合物涂层的工艺参数优化提供参考技术基础. 关键词： 辉光放电技术 等离子体质谱诊断 工作压强     

新型大面积电磁表面波等离子体源

研制了一种新型电磁一面波等离子体源,并对其参数和特性进行了实验研究。实验结果表明,该源在２３０Ｐａ以下的气压范围内成功地产生了直径在１６０ｍｍ以上,电子密度达１０＾１０－１０＾１１ｃｍ＾－３、电子温度只有几电子伏特的大面积均匀等离子体柱,适合于大面积,大体的等离子体应用。     

Particle‐in‐cell/Monte Carlo simulation of electron and ion currents to cylindrical Langmuir probe

Electron and ion currents to a cylindrical Langmuir (electrostatic) probe were calculated using the particle‐in‐cell/Monte Carlo (PIC/MC) self‐consistent simulation for a neutral gas in the pressure range 2–3,000 Pa. The simulation enables us to calculate the probe currents even at high neutral gas pressures when the collisions of collected charged particles with neutral gas particles near the probe are important. The main aim of this paper is the calculation of probe currents at such high gas pressures and the comparison of the results with experimentally measured probe currents. Simulations were performed for two cases: (a) probes with varying radii in a non‐thermal plasma with high electron temperature at low neutral gas pressure of 2 Pa (in order to verify the correctness of our simulations), and (b) probe with the radius of 10 μm in the afterglow plasma with low electron temperature and a higher neutral gas pressure (up to 3,000 Pa). The electron probe currents obtained in case (a) show good agreement with those predicted by the orbital motion limited current (OMLC) theory for probes with radii up to 100 μm for the given plasma conditions. At larger probe radii and/or at higher probe voltages, the OMLC theory incorrectly predicts too high an electron probe current for the plasma parameters studied. Additionally, a formula describing the spatial dependence of the electron density in the presheath in the collisionless case is derived. The simulation at higher neutral gas pressures, i.e. case (b), shows a decrease of the electron probe current with increasing gas pressure and the creation of a large presheath around the probe. The simulated electron probe currents are compared with those of measurements by other authors, and the differences are discussed.     

Effect of the electron beam and ion flux parameters on the rate of plasma nitriding of an austenitic stainless steel

The method of nitriding of metals in an electron beam plasma is used to change the current density and energy of nitrogen ions by varying the electron beam parameters (5–20 A, 60–500 eV). An electron beam is generated by an electron source based on a self-heated hollow cathode discharge. Stainless steel 12Kh18N10T is saturated by nitrogen at 500°C for 1 h. The microhardness is measured on transverse polished sections to obtain the dependences of the nitrided layer thickness on the ion current density (1.6–6.2 mA/cm²), the ion energy (100–300 eV), and the nitrogen-argon mixture pressure (1–10 Pa). The layer thickness decreases by 4–5 μm when the ion energy increases by 100 V and increases from 19 to 33 μm when the ion current density increases. The pressure dependence of the layer thickness has a maximum. These results are in conflict with the conclusions of the theory of the limitation of the layer thickness by ion sputtering, and the effective diffusion coefficient significantly exceeds the well-known reported data.     

ITER气体注入系统含氚管道的等效漏率评估

氚的泄漏会对公众安全和环境造成危害,有必要对含氚管道的泄漏进行分析。对ITER气体注入系统的含氚管道进行分析,对触发系统氚报警阈值(3×10⁵Bq·m^-3/环境安全值,1×10⁸Bq·m^-3/系统安全值)时,氚送气管、离子源管以及中性化管泄漏的等效空气漏率进行了计算。结果表明,氚送气管泄漏的风险最高。虽然氚送气管的气体压力低于包容管的夹层压力,但由于管道的氚浓度高,漏率大于3.2×10^-8 Pa·m³·s^-1时会触发报警。而在离子源管中虽然氚浓度低,但管道的气体压力远高于包容管的夹层压力,漏率大于6.1×10^-6 Pa·m³·s^-1时会触发氚报警。气体注入系统含氚管道泄漏的氚危害不可忽视,必须进行实时监测和防护。     

Influence of air pressure on the performance of plasma synthetic jet actuator

Plasma synthetic jet actuator(PSJA) has a wide application prospect in the high-speed flow control field for its high jet velocity.In this paper,the influence of the air pressure on the performance of a two-electrode PSJA is investigated by the schlieren method in a large range from 7 k Pa to 100 k Pa.The energy consumed by the PSJA is roughly the same for all the pressure levels.Traces of the precursor shock wave velocity and the jet front velocity vary a lot for different pressures.The precursor shock wave velocity first decreases gradually and then remains at 345 m/s as the air pressure increases.The peak jet front velocity always appears at the first appearance of a jet,and it decreases gradually with the increase of the air pressure.A maximum precursor shock wave velocity of 520 m/s and a maximum jet front velocity of 440 m/s are observed at the pressure of 7 k Pa.The averaged jet velocity in one period ranges from 44 m/s to 54 m/s for all air pressures,and it drops with the rising of the air pressure.High velocities of the precursor shock wave and the jet front indicate that this type of PSJA can still be used to influence the high-speed flow field at 7 k Pa.     

Number density and temperature measurements obtained using sensitive diode laser spectroscopy in an argon plasma

The absolute concentration and translational temperature of the 2p₁₀ and 2p₇ excited states of argon have been measured in an inductively coupled plasma chamber under a variety of operating conditions using both calibrated diode laser frequency modulation spectroscopy and cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy. Accurate lineshape analysis of frequency modulation signals has been employed to extract the desired information, and is corroborated by cavity enhanced measurements. Temperatures are found to vary linearly with pressure from ∼400 K at 20 mTorr (2.7 Pa) to ∼510 K at 90 mTorr (12 Pa) in a 200 W discharge while concentrations peak at 3.25×10⁸ cm^-3 at 30 mTorr (4 Pa) (also in a 200 W discharge). The uncertainty in the recovered temperature is 7%, dominated by uncertainties in the calibration of the frequency scale. PACS 42.62Fi; 52.70kz     

Effects of gas pressure on plasma characteristics in dual frequency argon capacitive glow discharges at low pressure by a self-consistent fluid model

A self-consistent fluid model for dual radio frequency argon capacitive glow discharges at low pressure is established.Numerical results are obtained by using a finite difference method to solve the model numerically, and the results are analyzed to study the effect of gas pressure on the plasma characteristics. It shows that when the gas pressure increases from 0.3 Torr(1 Torr = 1.33322×10~2 Pa) to 1.5 Torr, the cycle-averaged plasma density and the ionization rate increase;the cycle-averaged ion current densities and ion energy densities on the electrodes electrode increase; the cycle-averaged electron temperature decreases. Also, the instantaneous electron density in the powered sheath region is presented and discussed. The cycle-averaged electric field has a complex behavior with the increasing of gas pressure, and its changes take place mainly in the two sheath regions. The cycle-averaged electron pressure heating, electron ohmic heating, electron heating, and electron energy loss are all influenced by the gas pressure. Two peaks of the electron heating appear in the sheath regions and the two peaks become larger and move to electrodes as the gas pressure increases.