柱面天线射频感性耦合等离子体放电模式特性的实验研究

利用Z-scan、电流、电压探头,通过测量等离子体吸收功率、天线电流、电压、等离子体直流悬浮电位等多种参数,研究了匹配网络、天线耦合强度、导电地面积、气压等多种因素对E,H放电模式特性及模式转化行为的影响.基于Γ型阻抗匹配网络中串联电容对射频电源输出功率的影响,提出了E—H放电模式转化的正负反馈区概念.研究发现：在相同的其他放电条件下,处于正反馈区时等离子体放电易于产生跳变型模式转化,而且模式跳变的临界天线电流、回滞宽度、跳变临界功率、跳变功率差等参数均随阻抗匹配网络参数产生明显变化;在负反馈区内,模式转化过程趋于连续.由于阻抗匹配网络的影响,E—H模式的跳变电流并不是总大于H—E模式的跳变电流.在不同导电地面积、阻抗匹配网络、气压下,模式转化过程中等离子体直流悬浮电位的变化呈现多样性. 关键词： 射频等离子体 感性耦合 容性耦合 模式转化     

Spatial variation behaviors of argon inductively coupled plasma during discharge mode transition

A Langmuir probe and an ICCD are employed to study the discharge mode transition in Ar inductively coupled plasma. Electron density and plasma emission intensity are measured during the E (capacitive discharge) to H (inductive discharge) mode transitions at different pressures. It is found that plasma exists with a low electron density and a weak emission intensity in the E mode, while it has a high electron density and a strong emission intensity in the H mode. Meanwhile, the plasma emission intensity spatial (2D image) profile is symmetrical in the H mode, but the 2D image is an asymmetric profile in the E mode. Moreover, the electron density and emission intensity jump up discontinuously at high pressure, but increase almost continuously at the E to H mode transition under low pressure.     

Ion Energy Distribution in a Radiofrequency C4F8

The dependence of ion energy distribution (IED) of planar radiofrequency driven inductively coupled plasma source on pressure and power is analyzed by using plasma monitor. The transition from capacitive coupling (E mode) to inductive coupling (H mode) is observed between 100 and 200 W for C₄F₈ gas pressure in the range from 0.8 to 8 Pa. In the H mode, the concentration of light ions is higher due to an increase in dissociation and ionization rate of C₄F₈. In the E mode, the IED consists of large peak (round 20 eV) with an appearing saddle structure (0.8 P), whereas at higher pressure (8 P), the IED exhibits an important contribution near zero energy, indicating collisional sheath. In the H mode, in most cases, the IED consists of one peak which is narrower for higher mass.     

Electrical characteristics of argon radio frequency glow dischargesin an asymmetric cell

Measurements of the current and voltage at both electrodes of a parallel-plate, capacitively coupled RF discharge cell (the Gaseous Electronics Conference Reference Cell) were combined with measurements of the voltage on a wire inserted into the glow region between the electrodes, for argon discharges at pressures of 1.3-133 Pa and peak-to-peak applied voltages ⩽400 V. Together, these measurements determined the RF voltage, current, impedance, and power of each sheath of the plasma. Simple power laws were found to describe changes in sheath impedances observed as voltage and pressure were varied. An equivalent circuit model for the electrical behavior of the discharge was obtained. The equivalent circuit model can be used to relate the electrical data to plasma properties such as electron densities, ion currents, and sheath widths. The results differ from models previously proposed for asymmetric RF discharges, and the implications of this disagreement are discussed     

Mode transition in magnetic pole enhanced inductively coupled argon plasmas

The electrical probe (Langmuir probe) diagnostics of different plasma parameters and operation regimes (E/H modes) of magnetic pole enhanced, inductively coupled (MaPE-ICP) argon plasmas are investigated. It is shown that uniform, high density (n _e ∼ 10¹² cm^-3) and low electron temperature (T _e ∼ 1.5 eV) plasma can be produced in low pressure argon discharges at a low power (100 W). It is found that an MaPE-ICP reactor operates in two different modes; capacitive (E mode) and inductive (H mode). No density jump or hysteresis are reported between these modes. The effect of pressure on transition power, where the mode changes from E to H mode at 20 sccm gas flow rate are studied and it is found that for all pressures tested (∼7.5 mTorr to 75 mTorr) the transition power remains same. In the inductive mode, the above plasma parameters show a smooth variation with increasing filling gas pressure at fixed power. The intensity of the emission line at 750.4 nm due to 2p ₁ → 1s ₂ (Paschen’s notation) transition, closely follows the variation of n _e with RF power and filling gas pressure. Measured electron energy probability function (EEPF) shows that electron occupation mostly changes in the high-energy tail, which enlightens close similarity of the 750.4 nm argon line to electron number density (n _e ). The behaviour of the electron energy probability function (EEPF) with regard to pressure and RF power in two operational modes is presented.     

Radial inhomogenity of plasma parameters in a low-pressure inductive RF discharge

This work is devoted to systematic investigation into the radial dependence of the plasma parameters of a low-pressure inductive radio-frequency (RF) discharge on pressure within a wide range of 0.8–1 Torr. Experimental results that were obtained under the considered pressures make it possible to analyze the patterns of the changes in plasma parameters upon both a nonlocal mode of discharge and a transition from a nonlocal to local mode of the RF power input. Discharges in helium, neon, argon, and krypton were considered. Experimental data were compared to the results of the numerical simulation of the inductive RF discharge using the particle-in-cell (PIC) method.     

Design of 40 GHz-Band Iris-Type Waveguide Bandpass Filter

In this paper, a design method of an iris-coupled waveguide bandpass filter having 0.1 dB passband ripple and 3.5% ripple bandwidth at the center frequency of 41 GHz is described. Mode matching method is used to analyze H-plane discontinuity of waveguide and an equivalent circuit of the thick inductive obstacle is obtained from the results of the analysis. Simulation and experimental results show the validity of waveguide bandpass filter design method using mode matching method.     

Review of relaxation oscillations in plasma processing discharges

Relaxation oscillations due to plasma instabilities at frequencies ranging from a few Hz to tens of kHz have been observed in various types of plasma processing discharges. Relaxation oscillations have been observed in electropositive capacitive discharges between a powered anode and a metallic chamber whose periphery is grounded through a slot with dielectric spacers. The oscillations of time-varying optical emission from the main discharge chamber show, for example, a high-frequency (\sim 40~kHz) relaxation oscillation at 13.33Pa, with an absorbed power being nearly the peripheral breakdown power, and a low-frequency ( \sim 3 Hz) oscillation, with an even higher absorbed power. The high-frequency oscillation is found to ignite plasma in the slot, but usually not in the peripheral chamber. The kilohertz oscillations are modelled using an electromagnetic model of the slot impedance, coupled to a circuit analysis of the system including the matching network. The model results are in general agreement with the experimental observations, and indicate a variety of behaviours dependent on the matching conditions. In low-pressure inductive discharges, oscillations appear in the transition between low-density capacitively driven and high-density inductively driven discharges when attaching gases such as SF₆ and Ar/SF₆ mixtures are used. Oscillations of charged particles, plasma potential, and light, at frequencies ranging from a few Hz to tens of kHz, are seen for gas pressures between 0.133 Pa and 13.33 Pa and discharge powers in a range of 75--1200 W. The region of instability increases as the plasma becomes more electronegative, and the frequency of plasma oscillation increases as the power, pressure, and gas flow rate increase. A volume-averaged (global) model of the kilohertz instability has been developed; the results obtained from the model agree well with the experimental observations.     

Capacitive discharge mode transition in moderate and atmospheric pressure

Current–voltage characteristics of α- and γ-modes were investigated in moderate and atmospheric pressure capacitive discharges. The α- and γ-modes, the co-existence of both modes, and the α- to γ- and γ- to α-mode transitions were observed with the changes in voltage, current, and plasma volume. Changing of gas pressure, (100–760) Torr, the α to γ and the γ to α transition occurred with respect to input power increasing and decreasing, respectively. The hysteresis in current and voltage curve was observed and became more evident at higher pressure. Using a simple electrical circuit model, the relation between the gas pressure and the α-sheath thickness before mode transition was described.     

HOPF‐Bifurcations,Global Coupling and Hysteresis in dc‐Driven Oxygen Discharges

Starting from a hydrodynamic model to describe the positive column of a glow discharge in oxygen, we investigate the stability of the homogeneous state. Near the critical points of the instability curve the wave dynamics are approximated by an amplitude equation of the Ginzburg‐Landau type with complex coefficients and an additional integral term. The nonlocal coupling term describes the influence of the external circuit on the plasma properties. The complex coefficients are calculated for selected values of the plasma parameters. For sufficiently large values of the external resistor a subcritical Hopf ‐bifurcation is found. This is in agreement with the observation that in oxygen discharges a strong hysteresis occurs at the transition from the H ‐mode to the T ‐mode. Moreover, a numerical approach is used to study the hysteresis as a transition phenomenon (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Unified Approach to the Analysis of a Category of H-Plane Discontinuities

Based on the mode matching method, the generalized scattering parameters including the fundamental and higher order modes (multi-modes) are obtained for the discontinuity interface of a category of waveguide H-plane discontinuities. Then by using a general port-connection order-decrease method raised by the author, the whole discontinuity including the two interfaces and the intermediate part of finite length or zero length (as is the case for very thin inductive windows or irises) can be combined into one network, and the generalized scattering parameters of this network can be obtained from which the scattering parameters of the fundamental mode can be extracted. If needed, the equivalent circuit parameters can be calculated directly from the scattering parameters. Examples are given to show the validity and versatility of this new method for dielectric filled waveguide, inductive iris and/or window, E-plane metal and/or finline insert, and even the offset E-plane finline insert, etc.. Multiple inserts, windows and irises can also be analysed.     

Changes of the electron dynamics in hydrogen inductively coupled plasma

Changes of the electron dynamics in hydrogen （H2） radio-frequency （RF） inductively coupled plasmas are investigated using a hairpin probe and an intensified charged coupled device （ICCD）. The electron density, plasma emission intensity, and input current （voltage） are measured during the E to H mode transitions at different pressures. It is found that the electron density, plasma emission intensity, and input current jump up discontinuously, and the input voltage jumps down at the E to H mode transition points. And the threshold power of the E to H mode transition decreases with the increase of the pressure. Moreover, space and phase resolved optical emission spectroscopic measurements reveal that, in the E mode, the RF dynamics is characterized by one dominant excitation per RF cycle, while in the H mode, there are two excitation maxima within one cycle.     

Sheath thickness evaluation for collisionless or weakly collisionalbounded plasmas

The widely used Child-Langmuir law for sheath thickness evaluation in semi-infinite collisionless plasmas makes the assumptions of quasi-neutrality (n_e=n_i) and zero electric field intensity E=0 at the sheath edge, as well as applying the Bohm criterion for ions entering the sheath. However, through a whole region fluid model, Poisson's equation has been solved numerically for the steady-state solution through the sheath and presheath without these assumptions. With the sheath edge defined, as in the Child-Langmuir law, at the place where the ion velocity is equal to the Bohm velocity, the sheath thickness of a bounded collisionless or weakly collisional plasma has been found with this model in some cases to be much larger than that obtained with the Child-Langmuir Law. The sheath thickness discrepancy is significant under conditions found in low pressure high density plasma (HDP) tools for plasma processing. Results presented indicate that the sheath thickness is very sensitive to the electric field and space charge density at the sheath edge. The electric field and space charge density can be successfully estimated by an intermediate scale matching method, and are used to derive a modified expression for the potential in the sheath that can be solved numerically for sheath thickness. With these results, the matching problem, arising when sheath and plasma are modeled separately, can be overcome     

放电参数对同轴枪中等离子体团的分离的影响

同轴枪中的等离子体团的分离现象主要是由同轴枪内磁场的梯度造成的电流层倾斜而引起的一个增强反馈过程导致的, 这种分离现象越来越成为限制同轴枪有效使用的一个不利因素. 在实验上研究放电参数对等离子体团的分离的影响, 对理论研究和实际应用都具有重要意义. 在实验中发现, 利用光电倍增管可以直接观察到等离子体团的分离程度, 由此可以研究放电参数对等离子体团的分离的影响. 本实验主要研究电容充电电压、电容、放电气压这三个参数对分层现象的影响. 实验发现, 分离程度随着电容以及其充电电压的增大而增强, 随着气压的增大而减弱. 实验结果基于雪犁模型进行分析, 电容以及电容充电电压的增大使放电电流增强使磁场梯度增大而导致电流层的倾斜程度增加, 而使等离子体团的分离程度变严重, 相反, 气压的增加使需要加速更多粒子而导致电流层的倾斜程度减弱, 而使等离子体团分离程度减弱. 分析认为, 通过控制在加速过程中影响电流层倾斜程度的因素可控制共轴枪中等离子体团的分离程度.     

A simplified model joining the sheath and the plasma in electronegative plasmas

An extension of the previous work which only dealt with the sheath zone is used to analyze the wall-plasma interaction in electronegative plasmas. Ionization is introduced as the presheath mechanism. This extension includes the joining of the sheath and the plasma solutions. For certain plasma parameters a stratified presheath is obtained. In this case, the plasma and the sheath solutions are matched in a very simplified way, by introducing a discontinuity in the electric field. This discontinuity is equivalent to consideration of a negatively charged layer between the presheath and the sheath. The parameter space region in which this matching should be made has been delimited. The model includes the previous one in the limiting case of no ionization.     

Features of the α-γ transition in a low-pressure rf argon discharge

It is found that the region for the stable existence of the aregime of a radio-frequency (rf) discharge is bounded not only on the moderate-pressure side, but also on the low-pressure side. One feature of the α-γ transition in a low-pressure rf discharge is that the criterion for breakdown of the electrode sheath is not satisfied. It is shown that at low pressures the α-γ transition of an rf argon discharge takes place abruptly and exhibits hysteresis. At intermediate pressures the α-γ transition is continuous and lacks jumps; negative differential conductivity appears, double layers form, and nonmonotonic behavior of the plasma density is observed at the center of the discharge. The role of stochastic (collisionless) electron heating in sustaining an rf discharge at intermediate gas pressures is discussed. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 52–60 (May 1998)     

射频电感耦合夹层等离子体中的模式转换

本文利用微波相位法和光谱诊断法, 研究了ICP放电等离子体在圆台状夹层等离子体中E模和H模相互转换的物理现象. E模和H模的之间转换过程是一个瞬间突变的, 转换点的输入功率随真空室压强的变化而变化. H模向E模转换的阈值功率低于E模向H模转换的值, 等离子体参数随输入功率变化曲线类似于铁磁物质中的磁滞回线. Ar II 408.2 nm谱线的强度的变化规律和电子密度随功率变化的规律基本一致. 通过本实验可以获得一种电子密度范围为3.85×10¹¹ cm^-3 < n_e < 4.68× 10¹¹ cm^-3, 外表面积为0.3 m², 厚度为2 cm稳定工作的等离子体源.     

Excitation of the half-frequency of the input signal in theresponse of an antenna immersed in a plasma

The nonlinear response of a cylindrical monopole antenna immersed in a steady-state collisionless magnetic-field-free plasma and driven by a single-frequency RF source is investigated. The thickness of the ion sheath surrounding the antenna is controlled by a DC bias applied to the latter. It is found that at frequencies of the driving signal close to twice the frequency of a sheath wave resonance, the 1/2-subharmonic is excited, provided that the input power level is sufficiently high. The dependence of this process on the sheath thickness and on the electron plasma density is studied in the vicinity of several sheath wave resonances. This nonlinear effect is interpreted as a parametric excitation due to the periodic modulation of the sheath thickness, and hence its capacitance, by the applied RF signal. A similar effect can be obtained by replacing the antenna-sheath-plasma structure in the measuring circuit by a variable capacitance diode. A numerical analysis of the differential equation describing the current waveform in a microwave network modeling the antenna-sheath-plasma system is presented. It confirms the fact that a periodically modulated capacitance embedded in a linear circuit is responsible for the observed excitation of the half-frequency of the input signal     

Effect of plasma sheath structure in plasma focus

The development of plasma sheath in the run-down phase and pinch phase in a plasma focus is studied with laser interferometry. The time-resolved interferograms show that the structures of plasma sheaths in the run-down phase are different at low and high pressures of filling gas. This leads to a distinct plasma pattern above the anode. At low pressure the plasma sheath in the run-down phase has clear boundaries, resulting in better compression in the pinch phase and a higher X-ray yield. At high pressure the plasma sheath is turbulent at the back side and become disordered in the pinch phase, giving little or no X-ray emission. The effect of a ceiling, i.e., a metal plate placed above the anode, is investigated. With the ceiling the reproducibility of X-ray emission is much improved     

Linear analysis of plasma pressure-driven mode in reversed shear cylindrical tokamak plasmas

The linear behavior of the dominant unstable mode ($m=2$, $n=1$) and its high order harmonics ($m=2n$, $n\ge 2$) are numerically investigated in a reversed magnetic shear cylindrical plasma with two $q=2$ rational surfaces on the basis of the non-reduced magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations. The results show that with low beta (beta is defined as the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic field pressure), the dominant mode is a classical double tearing mode (DTM). However, when the beta is sufficiently large, the mode is driven mainly by plasma pressure. In such a case, both the linear growth rate and mode structures are strongly affected by pressure, while almost independent of the resistivity. This means that the dominant mode undergoes a transition from DTM to pressure-driven mode with the increase of pressure, which is consistent with the experimental result in ASDEX Upgrade. The simulations also show that the distance between two rational surfaces has an important influence on the pressure needed in mode transition. The larger the distance between two rational surfaces, the larger the pressure for driving the mode transition is. Motivated by the phenomena that the high-$m$ modes may dominate over low-$m$ modes at small inter-resonance distance, the high-$m$ modes with different pressures and $q$ profiles are studied too.