Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “PLASMA LAYER”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition Synthesis of Nanolayered Molybdenum Diselenide (MoSe 2 ) Thin Films for Nanoelectronics

Nanolayered molybdenum diselenide (MoSe 2 ) thin films were synthesized by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) using molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl 5 ) and diethyldiselenide (C 4 H 10 Se 2 ) precursors. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed horizontally stacked nanolayers near the substrate and vertically oriented nanosheets at the surface of the film. X-ray diffraction confirmed the (002), (100), and (110) reflections of crystalline MoSe 2 , while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed relative atomic concentrations of 33.5% Mo and 66.5% Se, consistent with stoichiometric MoSe 2 . Raman spectra exhibited characteristic E 1g , A 1g , and E$^1_{2g}$ vibrational modes. Field-effect transistors incorporating PE-ALD-grown MoSe 2 as the channel material displayed p-type behavior, demonstrating the potential of nanolayered MoSe 2 for nanoelectronic applications. This work demonstrates the feasibility of low-temperature, stoichiometric growth of nanolayered MoSe 2 by PE-ALD and its direct integration into transistor architectures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Stabilization of Low Valent Zirconium Nitrides in Titanium Nitride via Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition and Assessment of Electrochemical Properties

The increasing awareness of metal nitrides as feasible electrocatalysts in numerous energy-relevant transformations motivates greater synthetic control of mixed metal nitride compositions and their valence states. We report plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of titanium zirconium nitride, with an emphasis on the experimental parameters that influence the valence states of the two metal ions. We further examined the consequence of various ratios of Ti and Zr on the electrochemically active surface areas (ECSAs). Films with a Zr-to-Ti ratio of 1:2 or 1:1 yielded the highest ECSA; deviation from these values led to a large fraction of electrically insulating or semiconducting titanium or zirconium oxynitrides/oxides. The systematic examination establishes a fundamental structure-property relationship critical to assessing the electrochemical/electrocatalytic properties of metal nitrides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1986

Velocity distributions of ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer

The value of measured ion-beam velocity distributions as diagnostic tools to characterize the propagation and acceleration of particle beams in the plasma-sheet boundary layer is assessed. Models based on adiabatic deformation of a flowing Maxwellian, acceleration by field-aligned potentials, and current-sheet acceleration are fitted to observational data, and the results are presented in extensive diagrams and graphs. The data are found to be consistent with models involving field-aligned or cross-tail potential drops, but not with models based solely on the adiabatic deformation of initially isotropic distributions.

Eastman, T. E.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Plasma-assisted atomic layer etching of single-crystal diamond

Applications of near-surface nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are often limited by surface defects created during processing. Understanding and controlling plasma-induced surface damage is important for preserving the optical and spin properties of diamond NV centers. We report molecular dynamics simulations of a novel form of plasma-aided atomic layer etching of diamond. In this proposed scheme, the initial surface modification step consists of Ar + ion bombardment. This creates an amorphous layer at the surface, the thickness of which is controlled by the ion energy. Amorphization is known to help smooth the surface, at least locally, and would also serve to sputter clean an initially contaminated surface. A second step impacts the amorphous carbon layer with O + between about 1 and 5 eV. Simulations show that this energy range will remove the amorphous carbon but will not etch the underlying diamond. Though this energy range is not trivial to achieve in a conventional low-temperature plasma, potential methods for creating these low-energy O + ions are discussed. In addition to a-C etching, the O + impacts are predicted to remove any isolated (100) diamond terraces by selectively attacking the edges of the terraces. The proposed atomic layer etching (ALE) approach reverses the conventional ALE sequence in which the surface modification step is usually chemical modification (oxidation in this case), followed by a removal step using Ar + impacts. This plasma ALE procedure is predicted to create a diamond surface that is atomically flat and defect free.

Draney, J. S. [Princeton University, NJ (United St↗
DOE OSTI2022

1D model of tokamak scrape-off layer and divertor plasmas: Dimensionless parameters and the results of numerical simulations

Solutions of a 1D model of the scrape-off layer and a divertor plasma in a tokamak are analyzed on the basis of dimensionless parameters governing the physics of both plasma and neutral transport and atomic physics processes. Numerical simulations based on fluid plasma and Monte Carlo neutral modeling confirm earlier results obtained with simplified analytic considerations and numerical simulations performed with fluid neutral description and demonstrate bifurcation of plasma parameters. Further, these simulations also confirm that the major physical reasons for the rollover of the plasma flux to the target, which is the key feature of the phenomenon of divertor plasma detachment, are the impurity radiation loss and plasma recombination. It is suggested that simulations of the edge plasma based on dimensionless parameters provide a powerful tool for checking the consistency of the physics incorporated in existing complex 2D codes used for edge plasma modeling.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1994

Auroral ionospheric signatures of the plasma sheet boundary layer in the evening sector

We report on particles and fields observed during Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F9 and DE 2 crossings of the polar cap/auroral oval boundary in the evening magnetic local time (MLT) sector. Season-dependent, latitudinally narrow regions of rapid, eastward plasma flows were encountered by DMSP near the poleward boundary of auroral electron precipitation. Ten DE 2 orbits exhibiting electric field spikes that drive these plasma flows were chosen for detailed analysis. The boundary region is characterized by pairs of oppositely-directed, field-aligned current sheets. The more poleward of the two current sheets is directed into the ionosphere. Within this downward current sheet, precipitating electrons either had average energies of a few hundred eV or were below polar rain flux levels. Near the transition to upward currents, DE 2 generally detected intense fluxes of accelerated electrons and weak fluxes of ions, both with average energies between 5 and 12 keV. In two instances, precipitating ions with energies greater than 5 keV spanned both current sheets. Comparisons with satellite measurements at higher altitudes suggest that the particles and fields originated in the magnetotail inside the distant reconnection region and propagated to Earth through the plasma sheet boundary layer. Auroral electrons are accelerated by parallel electric fields produced by the different pitch angle distributions of protons and electrons in this layer interacting with the near-Earth magnetic mirror. Electric field spikes driving rapid plasma flows along the poleward boundaries of intense, keV electron precipitation represent ionospheric responses to the field-aligned currents and conductivity gradients. The generation of field-aligned currents in the boundary layer may be understood qualitatively as resulting from the different rates of earthward drift for electrons and protons in the magnetotail's current sheet.

Burke, W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Comparison of Hafnium Dioxide and Zirconium Dioxide Grown by Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition for the Application of Electronic Materials

We report the growth of nanoscale hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO 2 ) thin films using remote plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD), and the fabrication of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits using the HfO 2 and ZrO 2 thin films as the gate oxide. Tetrakis (dimethylamino) hafnium (Hf[N(CH 3 ) 2 ] 4 ) and tetrakis (dimethylamino) zirconium (IV) (Zr[N(CH 3 ) 2 ] 4 ) were used as the precursors, while O 2 gas was used as the reactive gas. The PE-ALD-grown HfO 2 and ZrO 2 thin films were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XPS measurements show that the ZrO 2 film has the atomic concentrations of 34% Zr, 2% C, and 64% O while the HfO 2 film has the atomic concentrations of 29% Hf, 11% C, and 60% O. The HRTEM and XRD measurements show both HfO 2 and ZrO 2 films have polycrystalline structures. n-channel and p-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (nFETs and pFETs), CMOS inverters, and CMOS ring oscillators were fabricated to test the quality of the HfO 2 and ZrO 2 thin films as the gate oxide. Current-voltage (IV) curves, transfer characteristics, and oscillation waveforms were measured from the fabricated transistors, inverters, and oscillators, respectively. The experimental results measured from the HfO 2 and ZrO 2 thin films were compared.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS1985

Observations of the right-hand resonant ion beam instability in the distant plasma sheet boundary layer

Examples of the onset of a resonant ion beam instability are illustrated on the basis of ISEE 3 observations of 66 large amplitude wave events at the plasma sheet boundary layer. Analysis of the observational data showed that the observed wave and ion beam parameters were, in general, in agreement with linear theoretical predictions of resonant ion beam instability. The distribution of ion energies at the onset of the instability is given in a table.

Tsurutani, B. T.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Low-energy particle layer outside of the plasma sheet boundary

The ISEE spacecraft in the geomagnetic tail frequently crossed the high-latitude boundary of the plasma sheet. On a number of these crossings on the morningside (between 15 RE and 22 RE) the ISEE instruments detected an enhanced population of low-energy electrons and ions immediately adjacent to the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL). The electrons in this low-energy layer (LEL) have energies less than a few hundred eV, and they are aligned along the magnetic field direction propagating in the tailward direction. The ions have energies less than 100 eV and are also streaming along the magnetic field direction but in the earthward direction. These particles are clearly distinguished from the bulk of the particles in the plasma sheet and the PSBL. These observations may help clarify where the various particle features in the geomagnetic tail map to in the ionosphere. It is suggested that the LEL maps to the soft (less than 1 keV) electron precipitation region poleward of the plasma sheet boundary.

Parks, G. K.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition and atomic layer etching of gallium oxide using trimethylgallium

Atomic layer etching driven by self-limiting thermal reactions has recently been developed as a highly conformal and isotropic technique for low damage atomic scale material removal by sequential exposures of vapor phase reactants. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is currently among the materials of interest due to a large variety of applications including power electronics, solar cells, gas sensors, and photon detectors. In this study, Ga2O3 was deposited by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition using trimethylgallium [TMG, Ga(CH3)3] and O2 plasma at a substrate temperature of 200 °C. We report a newly developed method for Ga2O3 thermal atomic layer etching, in which surface modification is achieved through HF exposure resulting in a gallium fluoride surface layer, and then removed through volatile product formation via ligand exchange with TMG. Saturation of the precursor exposure at a substrate temperature of 300 °C resulted in an etch rate of 1.0 ± 0.1 Å/cycle for amorphous Ga2O3. Uniformity and conformality of the atomic layer etching process were confirmed via atomic force microscopy with a measured surface roughness of 0.55 ± 0.05 nm that remains unchanged after etching. The use of TMG for etching may expand available precursors for atomic layer etching processes, while allowing for both etching and deposition of Ga2O3 using the same metalorganic precursor.

Hatch, Kevin A. (ORCID:0000000283118623)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Continuous polymer films deposited on top of porous substrates using plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition and molecular layer deposition

Molecular layer deposition (MLD) is able to produce ultrathin polymer films with control over thickness, cross-linking, and chemical composition. With these capabilities, MLD should be useful in the fabrication of novel polymer membranes on porous supports. However, confining a continuous MLD film to the surface of porous substrates is difficult because of MLD film growth in the pores. The deposition in the pores lowers the conductance of the porous support. This paper presents a method to deposit continuous polymer films on top of porous substrates. In this method, Al2O3 plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) using trimethylaluminum and oxygen plasma as the reactants was first used to cap the pores of the substrate. Subsequently, a polyamide MLD film was deposited on the Al2O3 PE-ALD capping layer using m-phenylenediamine and trimesoyl chloride as the reactants. The Al2O3 pore caps were then removed from the porous substrate by etching from the backside using a timed exposure to a dilute sodium hydroxide solution. This method was demonstrated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) and polyethersulfone (PES) porous substrates. Al2O3 PE-ALD film growth was limited to the top of the porous substrate, resulting in rapid surface recombination or high sticking coefficients for the reactive plasma species within the pores. Gas permeance measurements confirmed the pore capping of the AAO substrates. The reopening of the pores by dissolving the Al2O3 pore caps with a sodium hydroxide solution was monitored using gas permeance versus etch time. The removal of the Al2O3 pore caps from the PES substrates could also dissolve the Al2O3 layer underneath the MLD film. The loss of this Al2O3 layer led to the detachment of the MLD film from the PES substrate. However, the MLD film could be anchored to the PES support at fractures located in the Al2O3 film prior to the MLD. The Al2O3 film fracture allowed the MLD film to anchor firmly to the PES substrate by MLD in the pores of the PES porous substrate. The distance between the anchor points was a function of fracture density. This distance could be controlled by applying a tensile stress to the Al2O3 PE-ALD film to fracture the film through sample bending. This method produced firmly anchored polymer MLD films on top of the PES porous substrates.

Welch, Brian C. (ORCID:000000029747045X)↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Search of Large Amplitude Waves in Slow Shock in the Distant Tail and an Examination of Wave Turbulence in the Plasma Sheet Boundary Layer

Two fluid simulations predict that switch-off slow shocks should have large amplitude left-hand wave trains downstream of the shock. Recent simulations show that this feature depends on specific plasma parameters, such as Much number and ratio of electron-to-ion temperature. In this study we carefully examine all distant tail crossings using ISEE-3 field and plasma data. We seek large amplitude rotational waves and compare to shock parameters. We also investigate right-hand waves associated with ion beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer. We examine the role of those back-streaming ions from slow shocks in wave generation. Wave mode cascade and parametric decay in these regions also will be studied.

Ho, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Double Layers in Astrophysics

Topics addressed include: laboratory double layers; ion-acoustic double layers; pumping potential wells; ion phase-space vortices; weak double layers; electric fields and double layers in plasmas; auroral double layers; double layer formation in a plasma; beamed emission from gamma-ray burst source; double layers and extragalactic jets; and electric potential between plasma sheet clouds.

Williams, Alton C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

On tenuous plasmas, fireballs, and boundary layers in the earth's magnetotail

The plasma instrumentation (the Lepedea) and the magnetometer aboard IMP 8 performed correlative measurements of magnetic fields and plasmas within the geomagnetic tail at geocentric radial distances of about 23-46 R-E during March-October 1974. The hot tenuous plasmas within the plasma sheet were found to be in a state of almost continuous flow and were threaded with northward, or closed geomagnetic lines. The satellite encountered a region of acceleration in the magnetotail, the 'fireball' which exhibits strong jetting of plasmas in excess of 1000 km/s, proton temperatures of about 10 to the 7th K, disordered magnetic fields, southward magnetic fields during tailward jetting of plasmas, and northward magnetic fields for fast plasma flows toward earth. In addition, the magnetosheath plasmas within the boundary layers which are contiguous to the plasma sheet display evidence of plasma heating, great changes in bulk flow velocities, and acceleration of energetic electrons with an energy of greater than 45 keV.

Frank, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Energetic particle beams in the plasma sheet boundary layer following substorm expansion - Simultaneous near-earth and distant tail observations

Simultaneous observations of ions and electron beams in the near-earth and deep magnetotail following the onset of substorm are analyzed in terms of the substorm neutral line model. The observations were collected on March 20, 1983 with ISSE 1 and 3. Energy fluxes and intensity-time profiles of protons and electrons are studied. The data reveal that the reconnection at the near-earth neutral line produces ions and electrons for the plasma sheet boundary layer. The maximum electric potential along the neutral line is evaluated.

Scholer, M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Observations of a nonthermal ion layer at the plasma sheet boundary during substorm recovery

Measurements of the energy and angular distributions of energetic protons and alpha particles (not less than 30 keV/charge) in the geomagnetic tail are presented. The measurements were made during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic substorm on Apr. 19, 1978, with the Max-Planck-Institut/University of Maryland sensor system on the Isee 1 satellite. The measurements were also correlated with plasma observations made by the LASL/MPE instrument on Isee 1. The data reveal the presence of a thin nonthermal layer of protons and alpha particles at the plasma sheet boundary. The particles have their maximum flux at 60 keV/charge and are streaming highly collimated in the earthward direction. The alpha particle layer is confined within the proton layer. Many aspects of the observations are in agreement with an acceleration model near the neutral line proposed by Jaeger and Speiser (1974)

Moebius, E.↗