Gaseous phase monitoring during reactive sputtering of yttrium in glow discharges

The emission and fluorescence spectra at wavelengths of 580–650 nm during sputtering of yttrium, zirconium, and their alloys are studied for the purpose of developing spectroscopic methods for monitoring the composition of the gaseous phase during cathode sputtering of these metals in glow discharges in oxygen-argon atmospheres. The 584.2, 585.9, 587.4; 613.2, 614.8, 616.5, 617.9; 647.1, 648.7, and 650.3 nm lines are identified as molecular lines of yttrium oxide. The corresponding electronic transition energies are calculated. A correlation is found between the behavior of the emission and fluorescence spectra of the gaseous phase within this wavelength range during sputtering of yttrium in glow discharges and changes in the concentration of the oxygen-argon mixture. The dependence of the fluorescence and emission line intensities of the yttrium oxide molecule on the partial pressure of oxygen is studied.     

Measurement of the gas temperature in a glow discharge by fluorescence spectroscopy

From the measurement of the distribution of sputtered iron atoms over the fine structure levels of the iron groundstate (a ⁵ D), the gas temperature of an argon glow discharge (p=1 Torr) has been derived under collision dominated conditions at distances larger than 30 mean free paths from the iron cathode.     

磁控溅射辉光放电特性的模拟研究

采用二维、自洽的PIC/MCC (particle-in-cell with Monte Carlo collision) 方法,模拟了磁控溅射辉光放电过程, 重点讨论了工作参数对放电模式和放电电流的影响. 模拟结果表明, 当工作气压由小到大或空间磁场从强到弱变化时, 放电模式会从阴极空间电荷主导的放电模式过渡到阳极空间电荷主导 的放电模式.在过渡状态,对应的工作气压与磁通密度分别为0.67 Pa和0.05 T; 随着工作气压的增大,放电电流先增大后趋向平衡,当工作气压超过2.5 Pa时,电流开始随工作气压的增大而减小; 而阴极电压增大时,放电电流近似线性增加.     

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of velocity within a Hall discharge

The results of a study of laser-induced fluorescence velocimetry of neutral and singly ionized xenon in the plume and interior portions of the acceleration channel of a Hall thruster plasma discharge operating at powers ranging from 250 to 725 W are described. Axial ion and neutral velocity profiles for four discharge voltage conditions (100 V, 160 V, 200 V, 250 V) are measured as are radial ion velocity profiles in the near-field plume. Ion velocity measurements of axial velocity both inside and outside the thruster as well as radial velocity measurements outside the thruster are performed using laser-induced fluorescence with nonresonant signal detection on the xenon ion 5d[4]_7/2–6p[3]_5/2 excitation transition while monitoring the signal from the 6s[2]_3/2–6p[3]_5/2transition. Neutral axial velocity measurements are similarly performed in the interior of the Hall thruster using the 6s[3/2]⁰ ₂–6p[3/2]₂transition with resonance fluorescence collection. Optical access to the interior of the Hall thruster is provided by a 1-mm-wide axial slot in the insulator outer wall. While the majority of the ion velocity measurements used partially saturated fluorescence to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, one radial trace of the ion transition was taken in the linear fluorescence region and yields a xenon ion translational temperature between 400 and 800 K at a location 13 mm into the plume. Received: 27 September 2000 / Revised version: 2 March 2001 / Published online: 9 May 2001     

Calculation of the flow of sputtered atoms returning to a target with a surface relief during sputtering in glow discharge

A model is constructed that describes the transport of a sputtered substance near a target with a relief surface that is sputtered in glow discharge. For a periodic relief with small amplitude, distribution of a return flow of sputtered atoms from a discharge gap is calculated by a perturbation method. It is shown that nonuniform repeated deposition of the substance sputtered from the target could be one of the causes of formation of a relief on its surface.     

Interaction of a surface glow discharge with a gas flow

A surface glow discharge in a gas flow is of particular interest as a possible tool for controlling the flow past hypersonic aircrafts. Using a hydrodynamic model of glow discharge, two-dimensional calculations for a kilovolt surface discharge in nitrogen at a pressure of 0.5 Torr are carried out in a stationary gas, as well as in a flow with a velocity of 1000 m/s. The discharge structure and plasma parameters are investigated near a charged electrode. It is shown that the electron energy in a cathode layer reaches 250–300 eV. Discharge is sustained by secondary electron emission. The influence of a high-speed gas flow on the discharge is considered. It is shown that the cathode layer configuration is flow-resistant. The distributions of the electric field and electron energy, as well as the ionization rate profile in the cathode layer, do not change qualitatively under the action of the flow. The basic effect of the flow’s influence is a sharp decrease in the region of the quasineutral plasma surrounding the cathode layer due to fast convective transport of ions.     

Laser-induced fluorescence imaging in a 100 kW natural gas flame

A tunable excimer laser at 248 nm (KrF) and 193 nm (ArF) has been used to monitor two-dimensional OH and NO distributions in the turbulent flame of a 100 kW natural gas burner. Spatially resolved fluorescence (spatial resolution better than 1.0 mm) from a 20 cm×20 cm area is collected under single shot conditions. We describe the problems encountered when laser-induced fluorescence imaging techniques are applied to large scale flames. Special experimental arrangements, imposed by the turbulent behavior of the flame we used, are also described.     

Characteristics of surface glow discharge in a low-pressure supersonic gas flow

Kinetic particle-in-cell simulations are performed to examine the characteristics of the surface glow discharge in a supersonic nitrogen flow. The gas pressure is varied between 100 and 500 mTorr; the applied voltage, between −500 and −1000 V. The analysis focuses on the effect of boundary conditions at the dielectric barrier surrounding the electrodes on the electron energy distribution function. The potential on the dielectric is found by using a local balance condition for the electron and ion currents to the surface. The results of self-consistent simulations show that a negative potential on the dielectric substantially reduces the rate of high-energy electron loss from the bulk plasma and thus significantly changes the ionization rate, as well as plasma parameters and configuration.     

Behavior of the spatial phase of modulated ionization waves in a glow discharge

Work is described in which it was shown experimentally that a modulated glow discharge with striations acquires an additional characteristic which can be called spatial phase of the oscillations. In fact, this characteristic reflects the spatial distribution of the maxima of the time-averaged integrated plasma luminescence on the tube axis which arises due to the influence of the current modulation on traveling striations. It was discovered that for fixed discharge conditions such a distribution remains constant when the discharge is switched off and on, i.e., it is not random. An experimental investigation was made of the influence of a magnetic field on the spatial phase of the modulated ionization waves. It was found that in a low-pressure glow discharge with small currents the striations are initiated in the cathode region. The anode region does not directly initiate the striations but it influences their spatial phase characteristics through a feedback mechanism. State University, St. Petersburg. Ukhtinskii Industrial Institute. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 1, pp. 108–113, January, 1997.     

Investigation of glow discharge of gas in hollow-core fibers

For the purpose of constructing novel waveguide gas lasers based on hollow-core fibers, we carried out a series of discharge experiments and succeeded in obtaining sustained glow discharge of gas in a 150-μm-inner-diameter (i.d.) hollow-core fiber with the length of 13.7 cm and in a 50-μm-i.d. hollow-core fiber with the length of 2.9 cm by using longitudinal direct current excitation. A flash glow is also observed in hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber with 20-μm i.d. and 2.6-cm length. Initial measurements of current–voltage (I–V) characteristics have been carried out for fibers of various hollow-core sizes filled with various gases at different pressures. Theoretical I–V characteristics are presented and compared with experimental results. Gas discharges in miniature-bore hollow-core fibers were found to exhibit unique characteristics that are different from the traditional larger-bore-diameter tubes. The glow-discharge spectrum of helium gas in a 150-μm-i.d. and 8-cm-length hollow-core fiber is also presented. PACS 42.55.Wd; 42.55.Lt; 52.80.-s     

Modeling and experiments of N-doped vanadium oxide prepared by a reactive sputtering process

An original numerical model, based on the standard Berg model, is used to simulate the growth mechanism of Ndoped VOx deposited with changing oxygen flow in the reactive gas mixture. In order to compare with the numerical model, N-doped VOx films are prepared by reactive magnetron sputtering from a metallic vanadium target immersed in a reactive gas mixture of Ar+O2+N2. Both experimental and numerical results show that the addition of N2 to the process alleviates the hysteresis effect with respect to the oxygen supply. Film compositions obtained from the XPS analysis are compared to the numerical results and the agreement is satisfactory. The results also show that the compound of VN is only found at very low O concentration because of the replacement reaction of VN by O2 atoms with higher oxygen flow rate.     

Impact of an ion-flux non-uniformity on the sputtering of a target with a surface relief in a glow discharge plasma

The distribution of the sputtering yield averaged over the ion energy and flux density of sputtered atoms in a glow discharge plasma on a surface with a small-amplitude periodic relief has been calculated. The average sputtering yield of the target has a minimum at tops of the relief due to the energy separation of ions within the near-electrode discharge layer, while the flux density of sputtered atoms in this case is maximized due to the higher density of the ion flux on these areas.     

Spherical striations in a glow discharge

The stratification of a volume glow discharge is observed experimentally. Spherically symmetric stationary striations are detected. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 66, No. 11, 679–682 (10 December 1997)     

Laser-induced gratings in the gas phase excited by Raman-active transitions

We report on a new time-resolved coherent Raman technique that is based on the generation of thermal gratings following a population change among molecular levels that is induced by stimulated Raman pumping. This is achieved by use of spatially and temporally overlapping intensity interference patterns generated independently by two lasers. When this technique is used in carbon dioxide, making use of transitions that belong to the Q branches of the v(1)/2v Fermi dyad, it is possible to investigate molecular energy transfer processes. A further unique feature of this method is spectral resolution that is better than that achieved by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering.     

Laser-induced fluorescence images of NO distribution afterneedle-plane pulsed negative corona discharge

Images showing the spatial distribution of nitric oxide (NO) following propagation of a 30 ns pulsed, negative streamer between needle-plane electrodes, in 25 parts per million (ppm) NO seeded air, are reported. The images were generated using laser-induced fluorescence, and show uniform destruction of 10 ppm NO between the cathode and anode. This evidence shows that processes associated with the propagating streamer are responsible for uniform destruction of NO throughout the electrode gap     

Plasma discharge with bulk glow in the liquid phase exposed to ultrasound

It is shown that a specific form of the electric discharge with bulk glow in the entire space between electrodes and an increasing current-voltage characteristic inherent to the anomalous glow discharge in gas can exist in a liquid exposed to an intense ultrasonic field above the cavitation threshold. Such a discharge can be initiated between planar or rod electrodes in liquid in the mode of developed cavitation excited by an ultrasonic acoustic field. It is found that a plasma pinch is formed during cavitation between electrodes immersed into liquid. The pinch is stable at relatively low voltages (??30?C60 V) and currents (4?C8 A).     

Numerical study on the gas heating mechanism in pulse-modulated radio-frequency glow discharge

The gas heating mechanism in the pulse-modulated radio-frequency(rf) discharge at atmospheric pressure was investigated with a one-dimensional two-temperature fluid model. Firstly, the spatiotemporal profiles of the gas temperature(T_g)in both consistent rf discharge and pulse-modulated rf discharge were compared. The results indicated that T_gdecreases considerably with the pulse-modulated power, and the elastic collision mechanism plays a more important role in the gas heating change. Secondly, the influences of the duty cycle on the discharge parameters, especially on the T_g, were studied.It was found that T_gdecreases almost linearly with the reduction of the duty cycle, and there exists one ideal value of the duty cycle, by which both the T_gcan be adjusted and the glow mode can be sustained. Thirdly, the discharge mode changing from α to γ mode in the pulse-modulated rf discharge was investigated, the spatial distributions of T_gin the two modes show different features and the ion Joule heating is more important during the mode transition.     

Fabrication of low phase transition temperature vanadium oxide films by direct current reactive magnetron sputtering and oxidation post-anneal method

Vanadium oxide thin films were deposited on ordinary glass substrates by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering from a vanadium metal target and subsequent oxidation annealing. The deposition and annealing parameters were given in detail. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The phase transitions of films were observed by measuring their electrical and optical property variations at different temperature. The results indicated that the films fabricated had a semiconductor–metal phase transition temperature of about 30 °C.