Dissociative Excitation of C2H2 in the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma of Ar: Production of CH(A2Δ) Radicals and Formation of Hydrogenated Amorphous Carbon Films

The dissociative excitation reaction of C₂H₂ with the electron-cyclotron resonance plasma of Ar was investigated based on the electrostatic-probe measurements and on the optical emission spectroscopy of the CH(A²Δ–X²Π) transition. The density, n _e, and the temperature, T _e, of free electrons were controlled by adding H₂O molecules externally into the reaction region, and the dependence of the CH(A²Δ–X²Π) emission intensity on the addition of H₂O was observed to compare with the evaluated dependencies based on n _e and T _e. The mechanism of production of CH(A²Δ) was found, predominantly, to be the electron impact with the contribution of 10–20% of the electron-impact dissociation of C₂H radicals; the contribution of the ion–electron recombination was negligible. Hydrogenated amorphous carbon films were fabricated using the same reaction system. The atomic compositions, Raman spectra, and the hardness of films were discussed in terms of the variations of n _e and T _e upon the addition of H₂O molecules.     

Optical emission spectroscopy in reactive hollow cathode arc discharge plasmas – Local distribution of active species during the deposition of hard carbon films

A low pressure arc plasma discharge from a hollow LaB(6)-cathode with up to 100 A discharge current is used to create plasmas of high density. Typical values for the electron density and temperature in PETRA ( Plasma Engineering and Technology Research Assembly) are n(e)=10(12)-10(13) cm(-3) and T(e)=5-20 eV. The ionization ratio is typically 1-10%. Optical emission spectroscopy has been applied to investigate the processes within the plasma which lead to the deposition of thin carbon films. In these experiments hydrogenated carbon films (a-C:H) have been deposited on Si-substrates by introducing hydrocarbon gases (CH(4), C(2)H(2)) into He- and Ar-plasmas. Space resolved optical emission spectroscopy using an in-situ translation mechanism of the optical fibre has been performed to measure the local concentrations of CH-radicals, carbon ions and of the excitation of He-neutrals. In addition the hydrogen liberated by the dissociation of the hydrocarbon molecules has been measured. The dissociation of the hydrocarbon molecules takes place as a localized process in the vicinity of the reactive gas inlet.     

A theoretical calculation of dissociation rates of molecular hydrogen in electrical discharges

Dissociation rates of molecular hydrogen in electrical discharges have been calculated at different electron (T_e) and gas (T_g) temperatures (10000 T_e 23000 K, 500 T_g 4000 K), at different pressures p (5 p 50 torr) and electron number densities n_e (0 n_e 10¹² cm⁻³).The results have been obtained by solving a system of master equations, including V---T (vibration-translation), V---V (vibration---vibration) and e---V (electron---vibration) microscopic processes.The results obtained at n_e ≠ O show a “laser-type mechanism” in the dissociation of molecular hydrogen in electrical discharges. In particular one notices a strong increase of dissociation rates with decreasing gas temperature and pressure.The results show that this mechanism is as important as the mechanism of direct dissociation by electron impact.     

Effect of bias and temperature on the bulk and surface properties of gold-containing plasma-polymerized fluorocarbons

Gold-containing plasma-polymerized fluorocarbon thin films have been deposited in an RF glow discharge fed with hexafluoroethane, while a gold target was simultaneously sputtered. Tile temperatureT _s and RF-induced biasU _s of a third electrode, used as a substrate holder, were separately varied. The influence ofT _s andU _s on the plasma and file lihn characteristics were individually studied using actinometric optical emission spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and measurements of optical transmission and surface contact angles. IncreasingU _s (up to –200 V) andT _s (up to 90°C) resulted in similar effects, namely a higher degree of cross-linking, higher gold concentration, better film stability with time, and increased wettability. A key role of the energy flux of particles impinging on the growing surface has been shown to account far the experimental results.On leave from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Praha, Czechoslovakia.     

Vacuum ultraviolet laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of polymers

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in the vacuum ultraviolet range (VUV, λ < 200 nm) is employed for the detection of trace elements in polyethylene (PE) that are difficult to detect in the UV/VIS range. For effective laser ablation of PE, we use a F₂ laser (wavelength λ = 157 nm) with a laser pulse length of 20 ns, a pulse energy up to 50 mJ, and pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz. The optical radiation of the laser-induced plasma is measured by a VUV spectrometer with detection range down to λ = 115 nm. A gated photon-counting system is used to acquire time-resolved spectra. From LIBS measurements of certified polymer reference materials, we obtained a limit of detection (LOD) of 50 µg/g for sulphur and 215 µg/g for zinc, respectively.The VUV LIBS spectra of PE are dominated by strong emission lines of neutral and ionized carbon atoms. From time-resolved measurements of the carbon line intensities, we determine the temporal evolution of the electronic plasma temperature, T_e. For this, we use Saha–Boltzmann plots with the electron density in the plasma, N_e, derived from the broadening of the hydrogen H-α line. With the parameters T_e and N_e, we calculate the intensity ratio of the atomic sulphur and carbon lines at 180.7 nm and at 175.2 nm, respectively. The calculated intensity ratios are in good agreement with the experimentally measured results.     

Optical and Electrical Properties of Polymerizing Plasmas and Their Correlation with DLC Film Properties

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were grown from radiofrequency plasmas of acetylene-argon mixtures, at different excitation powers, P. The effects of this parameter on the plasma potential, electron density, electron temperature, and plasma activity were investigated using a Langmuir probe. The mean electron temperature increased from about 0.5 to about 7.0 eV while the mean electron density decreased from about 1.2 × 10⁹ to about 0.2 × 10⁹ cm^–3 as P was increased from 25 to 150 W. Both the plasma potential and the plasma activity were found to increase with increasing P. Through actinometric optical emission spectrometry, the relative concentrations of CH, [CH], and H, [H], in the discharge were mapped as a function of the applied power. A rise in [H] and a fall in [CH] with increasing P were observed and are discussed in relation to the plasma characteristics and the subimplantation model. The optical properties of the films were calculated from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic data; the surface resistivity was measured by the two-point probe method. The optical gap, E _G, and the surface resistivity, _s, fall with increasing P. E _G and _s are in the ranges of about 2.0–1.3 eV and 10¹⁴–10¹⁶ /, respectively. The plasma power also influences the film self-bias, V _b, via a linear dependence, and the effect of V _b on ion bombardment during growth is addressed together with variation in the relative densities of sp² and sp³ bonds in the films as determined by Raman spectroscopy.     

Determination of C-atom density downstream an Ar-CH4 rf plasma torch

Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon atoms have been detected by optical emission spectroscopy in a common flowing post-discharge of an Ar-x CH₄ rf plasma torch and an Ar-2%N₂ microwave discharge. Gas temperature as determined from CN and N₂ rotational svstems is 3200 ± 200 K in the rf torch and 700 ± 100 K in the post-discharge at a time 3 X10^–2 s after the rf plasma torch. From the intensities of the N₂ 1st positive system, of NO, and of CN violet hands, the atom densities have been determined as 2 X 10¹⁶ cm³ for N, 10¹⁵ cm³ for O, and 6 X 10¹² cm³ for C in the post-discharge at p=650 torr, with 10³ of CH₄ in the Ar torch.     

Solubilization of Homologous ω-Phenylalkanols into Gel and Liquid-Crystalline Liposome Membranes of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

The gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature T _m of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposome membrane was measured in the presence of homologous -phenylalkanols (phenol to 8-phenyl-1-octanol). The decrease in T _m induced by the alkanols allowed us, by applying the van't Hoff equation for freezing-point depression, to estimate two partition coefficients of each alkanol: gel membrane/bulk water K _x ^g and liquid-crystalline membrane/bulk water K _x ¹ . Shorter alkyl chain alkanols were solubilized only in the liquid-crystalline membrane, i.e., K _x ^g =0, whereas longer-chain alkanols were solubilized not only in the liquid-crystalline membrane but also in the gel membrane. The former result suggests that the fraction of liquid-crystalline phase in the liposome membrane is 0.83 at T _m. From the latter result, the values of the free energy changes of transfer of the alkanol molecules from bulk water to liposome membrane were estimated to be – 3.46 kJ-mol^–1 (liquid-crystalline membrane) and – 3.85 kJ-mol^–1 (gel membrane) per CH₂ group in the alkanol molecules.     

Vibrational energy storage in high pressure mixtures of diatomic molecules

CO/N₂, CO/Ar/O₂, and CO/N₂/O₂ gas mixtures are optically pumped using a continuous wave CO laser. Carbon monoxide molecules absorb the laser radiation and transfer energy to nitrogen and oxygen by vibration–vibration energy exchange. Infrared emission and spontaneous Raman spectroscopy are used for diagnostics of optically pumped gases. The experiments demonstrate that strong vibrational disequilibrium can be sustained in diatomic gas mixtures at pressures up to 1 atm, with only a few Watts laser power available. At these conditions, measured first level vibrational temperatures of diatomic species are in the range T_V=1900–2300 K for N₂, T_V=2600–3800 K for CO, and T_V=2200–2800 K for O₂. The translational–rotational temperature of the gases does not exceed T=700 K. Line-of-sight averaged CO vibrational level populations up to v=40 are inferred from infrared emission spectra. Vibrational level populations of CO (v=0–8), N₂ (v=0–4), and O₂ (v=0–8) near the axis of the focused CO laser beam are inferred from the Raman spectra of these species. The results demonstrate a possibility of sustaining stable nonequilibrium plasmas in atmospheric pressure air seeded with a few percent of carbon monoxide. The obtained experimental data are compared with modeling calculations that incorporate both major processes of molecular energy transfer and diffusion of vibrationally excited species across the spatially nonuniform excitation region, showing reasonably good agreement.