Deposition of a-C:H films in a dc glow discharge with a magnetron plasma localized near the anode

A multielectrode CVD system having a region of crossed magnetic and electric fields is used for the deposition of a-C:H films in a dc glow-discharge plasma. The I-V characteristics of the discharge are taken in the pressure range from 0.004 to 0.1 Pa. The effect of magnetic field on the I-V characteristics is investigated. The film deposition rate as a function of discharge power, hydrocarbon vapor pressure, conductivity and potential of the substrate, and inert gas is studied. The results obtained are discussed in terms of the adsorption mechanism of film condensation in a plasma. The effect of deposition rate on the film properties is analyzed.     

高压耦合高功率脉冲磁控溅射的增强放电效应

等离子体源离子注入与沉积技术作为一种可生产高结合力、高致密度涂层的真空镀膜技术,具有广阔的应用前景,尤其适用于高载荷工况下服役的功能涂层制备.该技术中金属等离子体源是关键,而现有的脉冲阴极弧源结构复杂,且由于伴随"金属液滴"而需要增加过滤装置.本文研究了另一种简单结构的金属等离子体源备选一高功率脉冲磁控溅射源(HPPMS)的放电特性,采用等离子体发射光谱仪探索了不同的耦合高压对HPPMS放电靶电流特性和等离子体特性的作用.发现耦合高压对HPPMS放电有明显的促进作用,相同靶电压下的放电强度大幅增加,相对于金属放电,耦合高压对气体放电的促进作用更加明显,但在自溅射为主的高压放电阶段对金属放电的促进作用明显增强.讨论了耦合高压对HPPMS放电的增强机制,发现耦合高压自辉光放电、耦合高压和HPPMS电压构成双向负压形成的空心阴极效应,以及耦合高压鞘层改善的双极扩散效应都对HPPMS放电的增强有明显作用.     

Effect of bulk modification of polymers in a directional low-temperature plasma flow

A mechanism explaining the kinetics of polymer etching and the formation of modified layers in the plasma generated by a high-voltage gas discharge outside the electrode gap is proposed and substantiated from a unified point of view based on the Thomson-Widdington law. The effect of bulk modification of a polymer is discovered, which upgrades the knowledge of the processes occurring during polymer interaction with a low-temperature plasma.     

常压下气体放电等离子体振荡的实验与理论研究

在实验上研究了高压交流电弧发生器电极间隙的气体放电及等离子体振荡, 观察到了气体放电过程中的纳秒脉冲.以电子的流体运动方程和麦克斯韦方程为理论基础, 利用δ函数来描述交变外电场作用下电极处的电子堆积现象,建立了常压下气体放电时等离子体在外电场中振荡的理论模型,通过Laplace变换求解出电极间的放电电压.理论与实验结果基本符合, 从而可估算出实验中等离子体的电子数密度为1.3× 10¹²/m³.     

Magnetron source of accelerated plasma flow

A new source of an accelerated plasma flow intended for depositing high-quality coatings is described. In this source, a magnetron discharge for cathode target sputtering is combined with a high-voltage discharge with longitudinal oscillation of electrons for ionization of the accrued vapor in which the plasma density is distributed uniformly owing to the application of three-phase ionizer.     

Emission characteristics and parameters of gas-discharge plasma in mixtures of heavy inert gases with chlorine

The ultraviolet (UV) radiation from longitudinal glow-discharge plasma in three- and four-component mixtures of argon, krypton, and xenon with chlorine has been investigated. The total radiation of Ar, Kr, and Xe monochlorides and chlorine molecules in the spectral range 170–310 nm has been optimized with respect to the composition and the pressure of gas mixtures, as well as the discharge current. The mean output power, the electric power of discharge, and the efficiency of a broadband low-pressure exciplex halogen lamp have been determined. Parameters of the glow discharge in Ar-Kr-Cl₂ and Kr-Xe-Cl₂ mixtures have been simulated numerically. The electron energy distribution functions have been determined through the solution of the Boltzmann kinetic equation. These functions have been used to calculate the plasma parameters, namely, electron transfer characteristics, specific losses of discharge power for electronic processes, and ionization and attachment coefficients.     

Micro-pinch formation and extreme ultraviolet emission of laser-induced discharge plasma

Extreme ultraviolet(EUV) source produced by laser-induced discharge plasma(LDP) is a potential technical means in inspection and metrology. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser is focused on a tin plate to produce an initial plasma thereby triggering a discharge between high-voltage electrodes in a vacuum system. The process of micro-pinch formation during the current rising is recorded by a time-resolved intensified charge couple device camera. The evolution of electron temperature and density of LDP are obtained by optical emission spectrometry. An extreme ultraviolet spectrometer is built up to investigate the EUV spectrum of Sn LDP at 13.5 nm. The laser and discharge parameters such as laser energy, voltage, gap distance,and anode shape can influence the EUV emission.     

基于飞秒激光引导高压放电的SF6分解物原位检测

气体绝缘开关设备(GIS)绝缘缺陷引发的放电会导致SF₆分解,分解产生的低氟硫化物与设备内的微量H₂O和O₂反应生成具有腐蚀性的物质,影响设备正常运行,因此,研究SF₆分解机理对GIS的安全运行具有重要意义。由于部分分解物在采样过程中发生转化,因此,实现SF₆分解物的原位检测对于研究SF₆分解机理是十分必要的。采用飞秒激光引导高压放电实现了高压放电空间和时间的精确控制,并利用飞秒激光引导高压放电产生的空间分辨光谱实现了SF₆分解物的原位测量。首先研究证明了飞秒激光不会引起SF₆的分解;其次,利用飞秒激光产生的等离子体通道实现了放电空间和时间的精确控制;最后,发现分解物中包含由于高能电子碰撞直接或间接产生的大量S和F的离子和原子。研究证明了基于飞秒激光引导高压放电可以实现SF₆分解物的原位检测,为开展高压放电下SF₆分解机理研究提供了一种新的研究手段。     

Expansion of the working range of forevacuum plasma electron sources toward higher pressures

It is shown that the pressure in forevacuum plasma electron sources is limited from above by a current component that arises in the accelerating gap from a high-voltage glow discharge and dominates in the electron beam. The working pressure range of such electron sources can be expanded toward higher pressures by limiting the current of the high-voltage glow discharge in the accelerating gap.     

Forming a beam of ions extracted from glow-discharge plasma

In plasma-emitting structures based on glow-discharge, the potential difference between the ion-emitting plasma and the screening electrode of an ion-optic system depends on particular features of the electrode system of glow discharge and can vary in a range 0–1 kV. Results are presented of an experimental study and computer simulation of the formation of ion beams with ion energy 0–1 keV and current density 1–10 mA/cm² in ion sources based on such structures.     

等离子体气动激励机理数值研究

基于介质阻挡与准直流电弧放电的物理过程, 分析了它们的气动激励机理, 建立了各自的气动激励模型, 并分别研究了它们对低速和超声速流动的激励效果. 结果显示: 介质挡板放电等离子体气动激励机理是改变了连续流体中的三种力, 即由牛顿内摩擦引起的剪切应力、由电动力学引起的体积力及由压力突变引起的冲击力, 其中基于电动力学的体积力效应占主导地位; 临近空间环境中体积力的作用效果更强, 诱导速度更大; 超声速来流下准直流电弧放电气动激励机理主要是等离子体的热阻塞效应, 本文所建立的爆炸丝传热模型可以用于仿真其控制激波的过程; 热电弧对于超声速来流而言就像一个具有一定斜坡角度的虚拟突起, 可用于高超声速飞行器前体激波的控制.     

Generation of a gas-discharge air plasma in a supersonic magnetohydrodynamic channel

A method for ionizing a supersonic air flow is developed to obtain a flow conductivity sufficient for a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) interaction and generation of a magnetically induced current in a supersonic nozzle. The efficiencies of several (high-frequency, multiple-pulse high-voltage, and combined) methods for initiating a gas discharge used for ionizing air are compared. The supersonic air flow is ionized by a pulse-periodic high-voltage discharge producing an air plasma with a conductivity of up to 20 S/m. The experimentally obtained magnetically induced current of 0.1 A is smaller than the rated value owing to the Hall effect and the electrode voltage drop. The theoretical possibility of obtaining a magnetically induced current in a supersonic air flow is demonstrated; such currents can subsequently be used for controlling the flow in air inlets of aircraft.     

Formation of an out-of-electrode plasma in a high-voltage gas discharge

The formation of an out-of-electrode plasma in a high-voltage gas discharge is studied. The occurrence and self-maintenance of a gas discharge and its associated plasma fluxes on the straight portions of electrical field lines are predicted theoretically and confirmed experimentally. It is shown that the focusing of the gas discharge and plasma fluxes is provided by increasing the length of the field line straight portions toward the symmetry axis of a hole in the anode. It is found that, when the discharge power (more specifically, an accelerating voltage applied to the electrodes of the gas-discharge tube) rises, the straight portions of the field lines elongate and concentrate near the symmetry axis of the hole in the anode. Recommendations are given on using the out-of-electrode plasma in surface micro- and nanostructuring.     

High-voltage pulsed discharge in an electron source with a plasma cathode

The nature of and mechanism for producing a high-voltage discharge in an electron source with a plasma cathode are investigated. The possibility of generating pulsed electron currents with an amplitude of 10³–10⁴ A and a length of 10^–6 sec is considered.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 117–121, October, 1973.The authors thank B. M. Koval'chuk for help in developing the experimental arrangement and G. A. Mesyates for constant attention to the work and discussion of the results.     

Discharge initiation in a hollow-cathode plasma source of electrons

Experimental results on discharge initiation in a hollow-cathode plasma source of electrons are reported. The discharge is initiated by ions flowing out from the accelerating gap into the discharge region. The ions are generated by a high-voltage glowing discharge occurring in the accelerating gap at a pressure of more than 2 Pa and a voltage of no less than 2 kV. It is shown that an increase in the ion-electron emission coefficient, which can be raised by properly choosing the gas-metal pair, decreases the threshold ion current initiating the discharge at a fixed discharge voltage.     

Mechanism of ignition by non-equilibrium plasma

The kinetics of ignition in stoichiometric C_nH_2n+2:O₂:Ar mixtures with 90% dilution for n = 1-5 has been studied experimentally and numerically under the action of a high-voltage nanosecond discharge. It was shown that the initiation of the discharge by a high-voltage pulse 115 kV in amplitude with a specific deposited energy of 10-30 mJ/cm³ leads to more than an order of magnitude decrease in the ignition delay time. The generation of atoms, radicals and excited and charged particles by the discharge was numerically described. The role of different atoms and radicals (O, H and C_nH_2n+1) was analyzed. The temporal evolution of the densities of intermediate components in the plasma assisted ignition was discussed.     

Combined effect of acoustic cavitation and pulsed discharge plasma on wastewater treatment efficiency in a circulating reactor: A case study of Rhodamine B

The present study investigates the wastewater treatment performance of an acoustic cavitation assisted plasma (ACAP) process in a circulating reactor using Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model water pollution. The concept of this process was proposed by the authors recently for a batch type rector. The measurements revealed that combining the ultrasound irradiation with pulsed discharge plasma allows the RhB degradation efficiency to be drastically increased as compared with the plasma-alone case. This effect is especially significant at higher values of solution electrical conductivity examined in a range of 20 ~ 400 μS/cm. Acidic conditions and larger flow rates of solution were found to be favorable for the degradation efficiency. The effect of flow rate was also analyzed through numerical simulation. The results indicated that the mass transfer of RhB to the plasma-cavitation zone is one of the controlling parameters influencing the degradation performance. Behavior of bubbles and pulse discharge frequency were examined using a high-speed video camera. Relatively large bubbles were found to favor the plasma pulse generation and propagation when move near the high-voltage electrode. On the whole, the results of this study suggest that the ACAP process has the potential to synergistically extend the application area of underwater plasma in both research and industry.     

Diffusion Mechanism in Aluminum–Silicon Structures Surface-Irradiated by Off-Electrode Plasma of a High-Voltage Gas Discharge

Technical Physics - The mechanism of diffusion in Al–Si structures that arises during surface irradiation by off-electrode plasma of a high-voltage gas discharge (discharge current and...     

Efficiency of ethanol conversion in equilibrium and nonequilibrium plasmas

The efficiency of ethanol conversion into molecular hydrogen is studied in equilibrium and nonequilibrium plasmas, as applied to the problem of alternative fuel. It is shown that, under the same initial conditions (discharge current and voltage), glow-discharge plasma is more efficient than arc plasma.     

Ordered structures in a nonideal dusty glow-discharge plasma

The formation of ordered structures of charged macroparticles in a constant-current neon glow-discharge plasma is investigated. Experiments were performed with two types of particles: thin-walled glass spheres 50–63 μm in diameter and particles of Al₂O₃, 3–5 μm in diameter. Formation of quasicrystalline structures is observed in the standing strata and in an artificially created double electric layer. The formation of extended filamentary structures of macroparticles in the absence of visible stratification of the positive column has been observed for the first time. The influence of the discharge parameters on the formation of the ordered structures and their melting is examined. The form of the interaction potential between the charged macroparticles is considered, as well as changes in the conditions for maintaining the discharge in the presence of high concentrations of dust particles. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 2030–2044 (December 1997)