Magnetron discharge in an argon-oxygen mixture for deposition of a titanium oxide film

A discharge in a planar magnetron with a titanium target is studied. It is found that a pressure rise from 2 to 6 mTorr in argon at a constant current increases the intensity of excited argon ion lines by almost 20%. The excitation of neutral titanium atoms is independent of the argon pressure: it depends on only the discharge current. The current-voltage characteristic of the magnetron in an argon-oxygen mixture completely reflects processes proceeding on the target of the magnetron.     

大气压氩直流微放电光谱研究

微空心阴极放电或微放电是一种能够实现高气压下放电的有效方法。利用不锈钢空心针作阴极,不锈钢网作阳极,进行了大气压氩直流微放电实验研究。测量了大气压氩微放电光谱,发现氩气的发 射谱线主要集中在690～860 nm范围,且全部为氩原子4p—4s的跃迁。实验研究了不同放电电流、气体压强、气体流量与谱线强度之间的关系,发现谱线强度随放电电流、气体流量增加均增加,而谱线强 度随压强变化呈现不同特征：谱线强度随压强的增加先增加后降低,在13.3 kPa时强度最大。此外,选用跃迁波长为763.51和772.42 nm的两条光谱线,利用发射谱线强度比值法测量了氩气微放电等离子 体的电子激发温度。结果显示,其电子激发温度处于2 000～2 800 K之间,且随放电电流的增加而增加,随气体压强和气体流量的增加而降低。     

基于连续谱的氩气纳秒脉冲放电中电子温度的研究

采用了一种针对针的放电结构,将其放置在一个高纯氩气的密闭腔室中,通过施加正极性的过电压产生可重复的大气压纳秒脉冲放电,并提出建立大气压放电的连续辐射模型来诊断氩气纳秒脉冲放电中的电子温度。实验利用电压和电流探头分别获取放电过程中的电压和电流波形图,其放电脉宽约为20 ns。通过消色差透镜、单色仪和ICCD等光学系统的组合来测量放电正柱区在不同时刻（0<t<20 ns）的时间分辨发射光谱。结果表明,放电中连续谱的强度随时间先增加（0<t<10 ns）后减小（10 ns<t<20 ns）,但是氩原子的谱线强度则随时间的增加而一直增大。研究表明连续谱强度与电子密度成正相关,因而电子密度随着时间也是先增加而后减小,这与放电电流的变化规律是完全一致的。根据连续谱模型拟合得到放电过程中（0<t<10 ns）的电子温度为(1.4±0.2) eV。随着驱动电压的下降（10 ns<t<20 ns）,电子温度逐步减小至0.9 eV。在0<t<10 ns中,激发态氩原子主要是由电子碰撞激发产生的,因而谱线强度随着电子密度的增加而增大。然后,随着电子温度的减小,Ar+₂复合反应速率激增,导致电子与离子的复合过程主导产生激发态氩原子,即谱线强度继续增大。通过加入0.5%的水蒸气以获取OH的振转光谱。实验发现,OH(A)的产生机制使其偏离玻尔兹曼平衡分布,本文采用了双温的OH(A-X)光谱模型来考察气体温度。在放电过程中,气体温度保持不变,大约为400 K。此外,水蒸气的加入使得短波长的连续谱发生显著增强。光谱分析认为H₂O在放电中能够解离产生H₂,继而与氩原子的亚稳态发生能量转移生成激发态H₂(a3Σ+_g)。H₂(a3Σ+_g)将会自发辐射跃迁到排除态H₂(b3Σ+_u),同时发射短波长的连续谱。由于短波长的连续谱对电子温度（T_e>1 eV）的响应较为灵敏,所以载气中少量的水蒸气将会对连续谱诊断电子温度带来较大的影响。     

Excited atoms in argon gas discharge plasma

General principles are discussed for a gas discharge plasma involving excited atoms where electron-atom collision processes dominate. It is shown that an optimal kinetic model of this plasma at not large electric field strengths can be based on the rate constants of quenching excited atom states by electron impact. The self-consistent character of atom excitation in gas discharge plasma is important and results in the tail of the energy distribution function of electrons being affected by the excitation process, which in turn influences the excitation rate. These principles are applied to an argon gas discharge plasma where excitation and ionization processes have a stepwise character and proceed via formation of argon atom states with the electron shell 3p ⁵4s.     

Characteristics of a large gap uniform discharge excited by DC voltage at atmospheric pressure

A large-gap uniform discharge is ignited by a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge and burns between a needle anode and a plate cathode under a low sustaining voltage by feeding with flowing argon. The basic aspects of the large-gap uniform discharge are investigated by optical and spectroscopic methods. From the discharge images, it can be found that this discharge has similar regions with glow discharge at low pressure except a plasma plume region. Light emission signals from the discharge indicate that the plasma column is invariant with time, while there are some stochastic pulses in the plasma plume region. The optical emission spectra scanning from 300 nm to 800 nm are used to calculate the excited electron temperature and vibrational temperature of the large-gap uniform discharge. It has been found that the excited electron temperature almost keeps constant and the vibrational temperature increases with increasing discharge current.Both of them decreases with increasing gas flow rate.     

大气压直流微等离子体射流研究

介绍了一种结构简单、 制作方便的微米量级大气压等离子体射流。这种微等离子体射流由直流电源驱动,可在多种工作气体(如Ar,He,N₂等)中实现大气压放电,产生高电流密度的辉光放电。为了确定微等离子射流产生的激发物种成分,测量了以Ar和N₂为工作气体的等离子体发射光谱。利用发射光谱相对强度比值法测量了氩气微等离子体射流的电子激发温度。实验显示,其电子激发温度约为3 000 K,这远低于大气压等离子体炬的电子激发温度。利用N₂的二正带发射光谱得到微等离子体的振动温度约为2 500 K;利用其电学参数估算电子密度在1013cm-3量级。利用此微等离子体射流进行了普通打印纸表面处理的应用实验。结果显示,这种微等离子体射流能够明显的提高普通打印纸的亲水性。     

Study of hysteresis behavior in reactive sputtering of cylindrical magnetron plasma

In order to make sufficient use of reactive cylindrical magnetron plasma for depositing compound thin films, it is necessary to characterize the hysteresis behavior of the discharge. Cylindrical magnetron plasmas with different targets namely titanium and aluminium are studied in an argon/oxygen and an argon/nitrogen gas environment respectively. The aluminium and titanium emission lines are observed at different flows of reactive gases. The emission intensity is found to decrease with the increase of the reactive gas flow rate. The hysteresis behavior of reactive cylindrical magnetron plasma is studied by determining the variation of discharge voltage with increasing and then reducing the flow rate of reactive gas,while keeping the discharge current constant at 100 m A. Distinct hysteresis is found to be formed for the aluminium target and reactive gas oxygen. For aluminium/nitrogen, titanium/oxygen and titanium/nitrogen, there is also an indication of the formation of hysteresis; however, the characteristics of variation from metallic to reactive mode are different in different cases. The hysteresis behaviors are different for aluminium and titanium targets with the oxygen and nitrogen reactive gases, signifying the difference in reactivity between them. The effects of the argon flow rate and magnetic field on the hysteresis are studied and explained.     

直流激励的大气压氩气喷枪的光谱研究

利用正高压驱动空心针-板喷枪装置,通入工作气体氩气,在大气压空气中产生了均匀稳定的喇叭状等离子体羽。电学和光学测量结果表明,放电虽然是在直流电源驱动下工作,但放电为周期性的脉冲。通过对等离子体羽发光信号进行空间分辨测量,研究了脉冲的形成机理,发现除针尖附近的电晕放电外,等离子体羽是以正流光(等离子体子弹)从针尖向着接地电极方向传播的。采用光谱学方法,对电子激发温度随电压的变化及其空间分布进行了测量。结果表明,电子激发温度(约为3 eV)随电压的增大而升高,在一定电压下,电子激发温度沿气流方向也在升高。     

COmparison of Some Basic Plasma Parameters and Discharge Characteristics of Planar Magnetron Sputtering Discharges in Argon and Neon

A comparative investigation is carried out of the discharge characteristics (current-voltage characteristic and dependence of the running voltage on the gas pressure at constant discharge current), as well as of some plasma parameters (electron temperature, floating potential and plasma potential) and densities of the ion current extracted to the substrate, for discharges in neon and argon in a planar magnetron system for sputtering with a graphite target.     

介质阻挡放电六边形斑图稳定过程的光谱研究

采用发射光谱法,首次研究了等离子体参数及激发状态对介质阻挡放电六边形斑图稳定性的影响。在氩气/空气混合气体的介质阻挡放电中,随着电压的升高,放电丝直径增大,六边形斑图逐渐稳定,同时放电颜色由紫色逐渐变为灰白色,说明其等离子体状态及参数可能发生了变化。测量了六边形斑图放电过程中氮分子谱线和氩原子谱线相对于氩原子763.51 nm的相对强度、分子振动温度和电子激发温度随外加电压的变化。结果发现：氮分子谱线相对强度随电压增加而降低,氩原子谱线相对强度却升高;分子振动温度与电子激发温度均随电压增加而增大。这些现象表明：随着电压增大,电子能量增加。由此,氩原子激发增多,放电丝直径增大,介质表面上沉积的壁电荷面积增大,放电丝之间的相互作用增强,六边形斑图趋于稳定。     

Emission characteristics of a barrier discharge in an Ar-H2O mixture

We have experimentally studied the UV radiation of a low-temperature barrier discharge plasma in an Ar-H₂O mixture. The spectral interval 300–400 nm has been examined in detail. Addition of argon with a pressure of 24 kPa to a barrier discharge in water vapor at a pressure of ～0.1 kPa leads to a ninefold increase in the UV radiation power of excited hydroxyl molecules. An increase in the duration of the UV radiation pulse of the mixture in the longitudinal discharge decay has been achieved for the first time, which may be direct evidence of energy transfer from metastable argon atoms to water molecules. An estimate of the upper boundary of the dissociative excitation rate constant of hydroxyl molecules OH*(A ²Σ⁺) upon interaction of metastable argon atoms with water molecules has been obtained.     

三种电极的大气压氩等离子体射流光学特性

采用铜片-单匝线圈电极、螺旋缠绕电极和双铜片电极3种结构的放电装置,以氩气作为工作气体,在正弦波激励下获得了大气压等离子体射流。利用电学方法测量了放电电流以及电荷量,并对放电脉冲和放电功率进行了研究;利用发射光谱法对射流的等离子体参量进行了空间分辨测量,并根据ArⅠ 763.5 nm和Ar Ⅰ 772.4 nm的光强计算了电子激发温度。结果发现：在外加电压的正负半周期内,电流脉冲的个数和幅值呈现非对称的变化趋势;随着外加电压的增加,3种结构电极的放电功率从1.7 W逐渐增加到6.0 W;在相同的外加电压情况下,电极面积越小,等离子体射流的长度越长;3种等离子体射流的电子激发温度在1 348.5~3 212.1 K之间,并且随着气体流量的增加,各位置的电子激发温度总体上呈下降趋势,而等离子体的电子密度呈上升趋势。实验结果表明：外加电压对放电功率有一定影响;射流长度与电极面积有关;气体流量对电子激发温度和电子密度的空间分布起重要作用。     

棒-环电极大气压等离子体射流的光谱特性

通过设计新型的交流电压激励的氩气等离子体射流,在棒电极的上游与下游区域均产生了大气压非平衡态等离子体羽。该射流与平行场射流和交叉场射流不同,它的电场与气流方向的夹角可以在一定范围内变化。结果表明,随着外加电压或夹角的增加,上游羽的长度增加而下游羽的长度减小。利用光学和电学的方法,研究发现随着外加电压的增加,上下游放电脉冲的个数均增加。利用放电的光学发射谱,发现上游羽有Ar和OH的谱线,而下游羽除了Ar和OH的谱线外,还可以观察到N₂的谱线。并且下游羽的谱线强度比上游羽的略高。基于碰撞辐射模型,通过谱线强度比的方法研究了上下游羽的电子密度和电子激发温度。结果表明上下游羽的电子密度随着外加电压的增加而增加。上下游羽的电子激发温度也随着外加电压的增加而增加。并且,在同一外加电压时下游羽的电子密度和电子激发温度均比上游羽的高。此外,利用OH发射光谱研究了上下游羽的气体温度,发现下游羽的气体温度也比上游羽的略高。     

氦氩射频容性放电发射光谱分析

光抽运亚稳态稀有气体激光器利用放电等离子体作为激光的增益介质.为掌握容性射频放电的放电参数对等离子体各项参数的影响的基本规律,利用等离子体发射光谱法研究了氦氩混合气体在不同装置、不同Ar组分、不同气压和不同射频注入功率下的等离子体参数.利用残留水蒸气产生的OH自由基A~2Σ~+→X~2Π的转动光谱分析获得气体温度;利用电子态光谱的玻尔兹曼做图法获得电子激发温度,利用Ar原子696.5 nm谱线的斯塔克展宽获得电子密度.结果表明:气体温度随气压增加略微上升,在一个大气压下改变组分和放电功率,气体温度变化不大;电子激发温度随总气压的下降而上升,且随着Ar组分的增加而略微下降;目前放电条件下的电子密度均在10~(15)cm~(-3)量级;长时间放电监测表明,残留的水蒸气会导致电子温度的下降,从而降低Ar亚稳态的产率.     

高功率脉冲磁控溅射的阶段性放电特征

本文从放电靶电流出发,采用一种新的研究方法,即将靶电流分解为多个代表具体放电特性的特征参数,全面而系统的研究了不同的工作气压条件下,靶电流各特征参数随靶电压的增加而进行的演化.结果发现高功率脉冲磁控溅射技术(HPPMS)放电靶电流在靶电压由低向高增加的过程中,出现靶电流峰值和平台值的交替变化,体现出明显的阶段性放电特征,且不同的放电阶段在不同气压下出现一定的移动,会在测量范围内出现某些放电阶段的缺失.本文还通过等离子体发射光谱对HPPMS放电靶前等离子体测量发现五个不同的放电阶段分别主要对应氩原子、铬原子、氩离子、铬离子和氩、铬高价离子的放电,但不同的放电条件下相邻的阶段会出现一定程度的交叠.     

Modelling of the Positive Column in an Argon-Hexamethyl-disiloxane dc Glow Discharge

A model is presented of the positive column of a dc glow discharge in argon with small admixtures of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS). The axial electric field, the ion production rates for direct-, stepwise-, pair-, and Penning ionization, the densities of metastable Ar atoms and of electrons, and the wall current of HMDS ions are calculated in dependence on HMDS admixture and discharge current density. For the calculations particle balance equations were used for a diffusion determined plasma in a mixture of two gaseous components. The reaction rates for the electron collision processes were determined applying the electron distribution function calculated for pure argon. Taking into account PENNING ionization of HMDS molecules by metastable argon atoms the decrease of electric field for increasing HMDS admixtures is according to the experimen-tally measured values. Also ion wall currents and electron densities are compared with experimen-tal values for thin film formation rate and results of probe measurements.     

Investigation About Stepwise Excitation Cross Sections in Rare Gases

Stepwise excitation cross sections of the rare gases helium, neon and argon were obtained by an indirect method resting on the combination of experimentally determined excited species number densities of the rare gas atoms in the positive column of a low pressure glow discharge with the results of the theory of the positive column and electron kinetics. Furthermore a semiempirical expression of the excitation functions basing on the analysis of the Born-approximation and modifications as well as a formula of Vainstein is offered.     

大气压氩气环境下体积介质阻挡放电光谱特性

通过介质阻挡放电产生的等离子体可与燃料中的烃类分子发生碰撞裂解反应,将燃料分子裂解生成更容易起爆的氢气和小分子烃类,能有效改善液体燃料连续旋转爆震发动机的起爆性能。该研究在真空仓中开展体积介质阻挡放电的丝状放电光谱测试,分析了大气压氩气环境下体积介质阻挡放电的电子激发温度和电子密度随加载电压的变化规律。丝状放电的电子激发温度通过波尔兹曼斜率法计算,电子密度采用斯塔克展宽法计算。发现发射谱线均由氩原子4p-4s能级跃迁产生;各谱线强度随加载电压的提高均呈上升趋势,且与电压基本呈线性关系;对于大气压丝状放电,加载电压对电子激发温度和电子密度没有明显影响作用,加载电压12.5～14.5 kV范围内,电子激发温度稳定在3 400 K附近,电子密度在1025 m-3量级。     

Influence of direct current plasma magnetron sputtering parameters on the material characteristics of polycrystalline copper films

Physical vapor processes using glow plasma discharge are widely employed in microelectronic industry. In particular magnetron sputtering is a major technique employed for the coating of thin films. This paper addresses the influence of direct current (DC) plasma magnetron sputtering parameters on the material characteristics of polycrystalline copper (Cu) thin films coated on silicon substrates. The influence of the sputtering parameters including DC plasma power and argon working gas pressure on the electrical and structural properties of the thin Cu films was investigated by means of surface profilometer, four-point probe and atomic force microscopy.     

Discharge characteristics of an atmospheric-pressure capacitively coupled radio-frequency argon plasmas

In this Letter, the electrical discharge characteristics of plasmas generated in coaxial cylindrical electrodes capacitively powered by radio-frequency power supply at atmospheric pressure are investigated with respect to argon gas. The electrical discharge parameters, the current and voltage characteristics (I–V) and the current and power characteristics (I–P), are measured for argon plasmas, and the electron temperatures and electron densities are estimated based on the equivalent circuit model and by making use of the power balance equation. Furthermore, the influence of the additive gas, oxygen gas, on the electrical discharge characteristics is also investigated in the argon plasmas, which is closely related to the electron temperature of plasmas.