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.     

Calculations of the chemical composition of helium–silane plasma

A model describing the process of silane dissociation in a high-frequency helium plasma discharge is proposed. The concentrations of the silane dissociation products are calculated numerically, and the role of metastable helium atoms in the synthesis of film-forming radicals is analyzed.     

Space resolved density measurements of argon and helium metastable atoms in radio-frequency generated He-Ar micro-plasmas

Space resolved concentrations of helium He* (³S₁) and argon Ar* (³P₂) metastable atoms in an atmospheric pressure radio frequency micro-plasma jet were measured using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Even small absorptions down to 10^-4 could be measured using lock-in technique. The absolute density of metastable atoms densities at different rf-power, flow rate and gas mixture was deduced from measured absorption rates. Metastable concentrations range from 10⁹ to 10¹¹ cm^-3. Analysis of spectral profiles provided the pressure broadening coefficients of both metastable atoms by helium. The spatial distribution of metastable atoms in the plasma volume was obtained for various discharge conditions. Density profiles between the electrodes reveal the sheath structure and reflect the plasma excitation distributions in the discharge volume. It reveals the dominance of the α-mode discharge.     

A two-dimensional multispecies fluid model of the plasma in an ACplasma display panel

A time dependent, two-dimensional model for simulating the plasma evolution in an AC plasma display panel (AC-PDP) is described. Reaction-convection (mobility)-diffusion equations for charged particles and excited heavy neutral species are solved along with Poisson's equation, a radiation transport equation, a surface charge buildup equation, and an external L-R-C circuit equation using a fully implicit numerical method. Electron-driven rate coefficients are computed with a 0-D Boltzmann solver in the local field approximation. For studying the particle dynamics in pure helium, we consider a reduced model in which radiation transport is ignored and the excited species manifold is collapsed to composite metastable and excited states. The model predictions of breakdown voltage are quite sensitive to the value of the secondary electron emission coefficient assumed and the uncertainties in the electron-driven reaction rates. An initial comparison between the model predictions and I-V measurements from a specially constructed helium-filled panel is made with qualitatively similar behavior. The lack of quantitative agreement can be explained by a combination of uncertainties in the model input data and uncertainty in the initial surface charge state in the experiments     

从大气压到超低气压范围的氦等离子体发射光谱的基本特性

采用三种实验装置(介质阻挡放电装置、空心阴极放电装置和彭宁放电装置)分别测量了不同压强范围内氦等离子体的发射光谱。通过对氦等离子体发射光谱的分析,已观察到一个共同的特点,就是在三种放电条件下产生的氦等离子体中31P1→21S0的谱线强度总是最强,可以推测亚稳态氦原子的含量相当显著,但不同的装置也有不同的特点,介质阻挡放电装置能够产生准辉光放电,谱线中氦原子的谱线强度很低,而空心阴极放电与彭宁放电装置能够产生稳定均匀的等离子体,且发射足够强的光辐射。我们已对所拍摄的光谱的谱线都进行了辨认,所有结果表明原子发射光谱分析法是研究不同条件下氦等离子体状态的一种十分有效的手段。     

Role of neon in a decaying high-purity helium plasma

The evolution of the electron and atomic and molecular metastable densities and the radiation of the decaying plasma of helium with a 10^–5-fraction of neon additive is experimentally studied. A model of elementary processes in He–Ne plasma is constructed, which describes the formation and destruction of HeNe⁺ and Ne₂ ⁺ molecular ions and their contribution to the formation of the afterglow spectrum by the electronion recombination. The various criteria influence of neon on the parameters of the decaying plasma are studied. The possibility of determining the amount of neon in helium by measuring the relative intensities of helium molecular bands and neon spectral lines in the afterglow is considered.     

Helium Afterglow without Metastable Particles

Optics and Spectroscopy - We study the afterglow of a pulsed barrier discharge in helium with a small admixture of neon (10‒2%), which creates a plasma with a low density of metastable...     

Metastable helium atom stimulated desorption of H+ Ion

H+ desorption induced by the impact of metastable helium atoms has been found for H(2)O/Na/Ni(110) coadsorption systems. The measurements were carried out using a time-of-flight technique and a pulsed-discharge type metastable helium atom ( He(*)) source. It is concluded that the H+ desorption by He(*) is induced by a hole created on the valence levels via the Auger deexcitation of He(*). The H+ desorption by He(*) may be understood within the framework of the Menzel-Gomer-Readhead model.     

10-2～105 Pa气压范围的氦等离子体光谱分析

采用三种实验装置(介质阻挡放电装置、空心阴极放电装置和彭宁放电装置)分别测量了不同压强范围内氦等离子体的发射光谱.通过对氦等离子体发射光谱的分析,已观察到一个共同的特点,就是在三种放电条件下产生的氦等离子体中31P1→21S0的谱线强度总是最强,可以推测亚稳态氦原子的含量相当显著,但不同的装置也有不同的特点,介质阻挡放电装置能够产生准辉光放电,谱线中氦原子的谱线强度很低,而空心阴极放电与彭宁放电装置能够产生稳定均匀的等离子体,且发射足够强的光辐射.我们已对所拍摄的光谱的谱线都进行了辨认,所有结果表明原子发射光谱分析法是研究不同条件下氦等离子体状态的一种十分有效的手段.     

Collisional — Radiative Model of Helium Plasma. II. Global Population Coefficients

We present results of our calculation of global population coefficients based on a collisional — radiative model of the helium plasma. The results are given for 2³P, 2¹P, 3³S, 3¹S, 3³P, 3¹D, 3³D, 3¹P, 4³ and 4¹ states of helium atoms. We consider electron densities from 10⁷ to 10¹⁸ cm^?3 and electron temperature from 1 to 10 eV. The electron distribution function is considered to be Maxwellian and the plasma to be radiatively thin.     

亚稳态氦原子束在激光驻波场中聚焦的衍射像差研究

用量子力学方法研究了一维激光驻波场对亚稳态氮原子束聚焦的衍射像差。建立了半经典模型，该模型在一定条件下和已有模型一致，提出了直接计算时间演化算符的数值方法，这种计算方法速度较快，收敛性较好，数值模拟结果表明在一定的激光强度和光束半径等参量下，亚稳态氮原子束被聚焦，焦点的半峰全宽为54nm，对比度16：1，焦长、焦深与入射原子束的速度有关，从而与动能有关，焦点的有限宽度主要是来自衍射效应的影响。     

Electron-ion recombination in a helium plasma produced by laser

Experimental investigation of the recombination coefficients in a helium plasma produced by laser is reported. The relative contribution of electronic collision processes and of atomic collision processes on the values of the recombination coefficients are pointed out according to the value of the neutral pressure of helium.     

Indirect optical orientation of atoms in He–Cs gas discharge plasma: an explanation of anomalous ratio of the magnetic resonance signals

This paper discusses the indirect orientation of Cs atoms, which was observed for the first time in our early works in a helium–cesium plasma discharge with use of an indirect registration method. We propose an explanation for the unusually small ratio of the magnetic resonance signals from Cs and metastable He atoms under condition of optical orientation of He atoms.     

Dispersion coefficients for interactions between two metastable helium-like ions

The dispersion coefficients C₆, C₈ and C₁₀ for the interactions between helium and helium-like ions in the metastable states of 2 ¹S and 2 ³S with Z up to 10 are calculated using variational wave functions in Hylleraas coordinates.     

The influence of defects in the crystal structure on helium diffusion in quartz

The solubility and diffusion of helium in quartz crystals are investigated as functions of the distribution and density of structural defects. The types of defects in the crystals are identified and their distribution over growth sectors is determined by x-ray diffraction topography and phase radiography with a synchrotron radiation source. The effective solubility and effective diffusion coefficients for helium in quartz are estimated from the experimental data on the amount of helium extracted from samples with different contents of defects. It is revealed that the effective diffusion coefficient of helium depends on the number of dislocations.     

Nanolithography with metastabile helium

We have used a self-assembling monolayer of dodecanethiole molecules as the resist for a lithography technique based on a beam of metastable helium atoms. Doses as low as 3 metastable helium atoms per 10 molecules are enough to write patterns into this resist. An edge resolution of 30 nanometers is demonstrated. The writing mechanism is based on the damage of the resist due to Penning ionization.     

氦气空心阴极放电动力学过程的模拟研究

利用流体模型模拟研究了氦气空心阴极放电的时空动力学过程,计算得到了不同放电时刻电子和亚稳态氦原子密度、电势、电场、基态电离速率和分步电离速率等的时空分布特性。特别是讨论了亚稳态原子和分步电离对于放电的影响。结果表明,随着电流的增长,放电处于五个不同的放电模式:第一阶段电流上升非常缓慢,为汤生放电模式,带电粒子密度、亚稳态原子密度和径向电场均很弱;第二阶段电流迅速上升,放电模式由汤生放电向空心阴极放电过渡,带电粒子密度、亚稳态原子密度和径向电场迅速增强;第三阶段达到准稳态阶段,放电电流增长速度变缓,形成了明显的阴极鞘层结构;第四阶段为空心阴极效应形成阶段,向稳态阶段过渡;第五阶段为稳态放电阶段。研究结果同时表明,亚稳态氦原子和分步电离在放电的初始阶段对于放电的发展作用较弱,在前三阶段中,电子的产生以基态电离为主。随着放电的发展,由亚稳态原子引起的分步电离对新的电子产生的作用逐渐接近并超过基态电离,对总电离的贡献率越来越高。     

Specific features of the excitation spectrum of helium II in a plasma initiated by an electron beam

The emission of a low-pressure helium plasma (P≤2 Torr) initiated by a monochromatic electron beam is investigated. It is found that an increase in the current leads to a drastic increase in the rate of charge exchange of doubly charged helium ions. The assumption is made that inelastic collisions of He⁺⁺ ions with metastable helium atoms provide the main channel of charge exchange of these ions due to the reaction He⁺⁺+Hem→ He⁺*+He ₀ ⁺ .     

Observation of polarized atoms of rubidium isotopes in experiments on optical orientation in a He–Rb mixture under conditions of a pulsed gas discharge

We are the first to have observed magnetic resonance signals from atoms of ⁸⁵Rb and ⁸⁷Rb isotopes when using the indirect optical orientation in conditions of helium–rubidium gas discharge plasma. An anomalously small ratio of magnetic resonance signals from isotopes of rubidium and metastable helium upon optical orientation of ⁴Не atoms has been detected. The experimental results have been considered theoretically, and an explanation of the observed anomaly in the signals is presented.Z     

Effect of diluent gas on silicon film deposition from a free jet of monosilane-diluent mixture activated by electron-beam plasma

Thin silicon films were synthesized by the gas-jet electron beam plasma chemical vapor deposition method from monosilane-argon, monosilane-argon-helium, and monosilane-argon-hydrogen mixtures. Addition of argon to the argon-silane mixture increased the deposition rate of silicon films, whereas addition of helium and hydrogen to the same mixture decreased the growth rate. It is shown that the process of silicon film deposition by this method from argon-monosilane mixture is primarily governed by fast secondary electrons, and argon dilution of mixture leads to increasing concentration of fast secondary electrons and increasing deposition rate of silicon films. Dilution of the initial mixture with helium or hydrogen causes a decrease in the deposition rate either due to gas-dynamic behavior of the supersonic jet of the mixture of light and heavy gases, or due to the etching effect of metastable helium atoms or hydrogen atoms on the surface of the growing silicon film.