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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.

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At least 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Phase-shift effects on growth and transport of dust particles in VHF capacitively coupled silane discharges: Two dimensional fluid simulation

A two-dimensional (2D) self-consistent fluid model is developed to describe the formation, subsequent growth, transport, and charging mechanisms of nanoparticles in a capacitively coupled silane discharge applied by two very high frequency (VHF) sources with phase shift. In this discharge process, large anions are produced by a series of chemical reactions of anions with silane molecules, while the lower limit of the initial nanoparticles are taken as large anions (Si{sub 12}H{sub 25}{sup -} and Si{sub 12}H{sub 24}{sup -}) to directly link the coagulation module with the nucleation module. And then, by using the coagulation module, the particle number density quickly decreases over several orders of magnitude, whereas the particle size strongly increases. We investigate in particular the growth of the nanoparticles ranging in size from {approx}1 to 50 nm in coagulation processes. The influences of controlled phase shifts between VHF (50 MHz) voltages on the electron density, electron temperature, nanoparticle uniformity, and deposition rate, are carefully studied. It is found from our simulation that the plasma density and nanoparticle density become center high and more uniform as the phase shift increases from 0 to 180 deg. Moreover, the role of phase-shift control in the silane discharge diluted with hydrogen gas is also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Influence of oxygen traces on an atmospheric-pressure radio-frequency capacitive argon plasma discharge

An atmospheric-pressure capacitive discharge source driven by radio-frequency power supply at 13.56 MHz has been developed experimentally that is capable of producing a homogeneous and cold glow discharge in O{sub 2}/Ar. With respect to the influence of oxygen component when diluted into argon plasma discharge on the discharge characteristics, the measurements of the electrical parameters (impedance, phase angle, resistance, and reactance) are made systematically and the densities of the metastable and resonant state of argon are determined by means of optical emission spectroscopy (OES). It is shown that the admixture of oxygen into argon plasma not only changes the electric characteristics but also alters the optical emission spectra greatly due to strong interaction between the oxygen content and the argon in the plasma environment.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Langmuir probe diagnostics of electron energy distributions with optical emission spectroscopy in capacitively coupled rf discharge in nitrogen

Measurements with a rf compensated Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy are carried out in capacitively coupled rf (13.56 MHz) pure nitrogen N{sub 2} discharges at fixed rf voltage over a wide range of pressure, 30 to 400 mTorr. The electron energy probability function (EEPF) measured below 100 mTorr resembles a bi-Maxwellian-type distribution. At pressure range of 100-200 mTorr, the EEPF has non-Maxwellian distribution with a ''dip'' near 4.5 eV. At the highest pressure of 400 mTorr, the EEPF evolves into a Druyvestein-like distribution and the ''dip'' disappears. The electron density significantly decreases with increase in the N{sub 2} pressure. On the other hand, the electron temperatures gradually decrease with an increase in N{sub 2} pressure, reaching minimum at 150 mTorr, beyond which it abruptly increases. Such evolution of the EEPFs shape with gas pressure has been discussed in terms of non-local electron kinetics and heating mode transition. The emission intensities of nitrogen (0-0) band of second positive system at 337.1 nm and (0-0) band of first negative systems at 391.4 nm are used to determine the dependence of their radiative states N{sub 2}(C{sup 3}{Pi}{sub u}) and N{sub 2}{sup +}(B{sup 2}{Sigma}{sub u}{sup +}) with nitrogen pressure. It is observed that the pressure influences the radiative states differently owing to their different populating mechanisms. The vibrational temperature T{sub {nu}ib} and rotational temperature T{sub rot} are measured for the sequence ({Delta}{nu}=-2) of N{sub 2} second positive system (C{sup 3}{Pi}{yields}B{sup 3}{Pi}{sub g}) using the method of comparing the measured and calculated spectra with a chi-squared minimization procedure. It was found that both T{sub {nu}ib} and T{sub rot} have similar dependences with N{sub 2} pressure; peaked at 100 mTorr beyond which it monotonically decreases with increase in the N{sub 2} pressure. The correlation between the observed maximum value of T{sub {nu}ib} around 100 mTorr and the detected ''dip'' in the EEPF in the same pressure range has been discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Altering the sulfur content in the propanethiol plasma polymers using the capacitive-to-inductive mode transition in inductively coupled plasma discharge

The effect of the transition from capacitive (E) to inductive (H) mode on propanethiol plasma polymer films properties was investigated by optical emission as well as by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The E mode is characterized by low deposition rate and by high sulfur content in the films ({approx}40% vs {approx}20% in H mode). After aging, a strong decrease of sulfur to carbon content (from {approx}0.75 to 0.13), attributed to desorption of unbounded sulfur-based molecules (e.g., H{sub 2}S), is detected at low power in E mode. The importance of the E-H transition for altering the film properties is highlighted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Enhanced sheath heating in capacitively coupled discharges due to non-sinusoidal voltage waveforms

Through the use of particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate that the power deposition in capacitively coupled discharges (in argon) can be increased by replacing sinusoidal waveforms with Gaussian-shaped voltage pulses (with a repetition frequency of 13.56 MHz). By changing the Gaussian pulse width, electron heating can be directly controlled, allowing for an increased plasma density and ion flux for the same gas pressure and geometrical operating conditions. Analysis of the power deposition profiles and electron distribution functions shows that enhanced electron-sheath heating is responsible for the increased power absorption.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

The discharge mode transition and O({sup 5}p{sub 1}) production mechanism of pulsed radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma

The discharge mode transition from uniform plasma across the gas gap to the {alpha} mode happens at the rising phase of the pulsed radio frequency capacitively coupled plasma (PRF CCP). This transition is attributed to the fast increasing stochastic heating at the edge of sheath. In the second stage with the stable current and voltage amplitude, the consistency between experimental and numerical spatial-temporal 777 nm emission profile suggests that He* and He{sub 2}* dominate the production of O({sup 5}p{sub 1}) through dissociation and excitation of O{sub 2}. Finally, the sterilization efficiency of PRF CCP is found to be higher than that of plasma jet.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Extraction of negative ions from pulsed electronegative capacitively coupled plasmas

Charge buildup during plasma etching of dielectric features can lead to undesirable effects, such as notching, bowing, and twisting. Pulsed plasmas have been suggested as a method to achieve charge-free plasma etching. In particular, electronegative plasmas are attractive as the collapse of the plasma potential during the after-glow period of pulsed capacitively coupled plasmas (CCPs) can allow for extraction of negative ions into the feature. The extraction of negative ions in the after-glow of pulsed CCPs sustained in CF{sub 4} containing gas mixtures is computationally investigated. In this paper, the consequences of pulse frequency and gas chemistry on negative ion flux to the wafer are discussed. A low negative ion flux to the wafer was observed only in the late after-glow period of low pulse frequencies. The negative ion flux was found to significantly increase with the addition of highly electronegative gases (such as thermally attaching Cl{sub 2}) even at a high pulse frequency of 10 kHz. As the production of negative ions during the after-glow diminishes, alternative strategies to enhance the flux were also pursued. The flux of negative ions was found to increase by the addition of a pulsed dc voltage on the top electrode that is 180 Degree-Sign out-of-phase with the rf pulse.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

The electrical asymmetry effect in geometrically asymmetric capacitive radio frequency plasmas

The electrical asymmetry effect (EAE) allows an almost ideal separate control of the mean ion energy, , and flux, {Gamma}{sub i}, at the electrodes in capacitive radio frequency discharges with identical electrode areas driven at two consecutive harmonics with adjustable phase shift, {theta}. In such geometrically symmetric discharges, a DC self bias is generated as a function of {theta}. Consequently, can be controlled separately from {Gamma}{sub i} by adjusting the phase shift. Here, we systematically study the EAE in low pressure dual-frequency discharges with different electrode areas operated in argon at 13.56 MHz and 27.12 MHz by experiments, kinetic simulations, and analytical modeling. We find that the functional dependence of the DC self bias on {theta} is similar, but its absolute value is strongly affected by the electrode area ratio. Consequently, the ion energy distributions change and can be controlled by adjusting {theta}, but its control range is different at both electrodes and determined by the area ratio. Under distinct conditions, the geometric asymmetry can be compensated electrically. In contrast to geometrically symmetric discharges, we find the ratio of the maximum sheath voltages to remain constant as a function of {theta} at low pressures and {Gamma}{sub i} to depend on {theta} at the smaller electrode. These observations are understood by the model. Finally, we study the self-excitation of non-linear plasma series resonance oscillations and its effect on the electron heating.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

The discharge condition to enhance electron density of capacitively coupled plasma with multi-holed electrode

The multi-holed electrode that has been reported to enhance the electron density of the capacitively coupled plasma is now being adopted to speed up the processes. However, the discharge condition when the multi-holed electrode enhances the electron density of the discharge at fixed power is not studied. At low pressure, the multi-holed electrode increased the electron density of the plasma at fixed power. However, the multi-holed electrode is experimentally revealed to lower the electron density at high pressure. In this paper, the different roles of the multi-holed electrode are experimentally studied.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Effect of bulk electric field reversal on the bounce resonance heating in dual-frequency capacitively coupled electronegative plasmas

The electron bounce resonance heating (BRH) in dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas operated in oxygen and argon has been studied by different experimental methods. In comparison with the electropositive argon discharge, the BRH in an electronegative discharge occurs at larger electrode gaps. Kinetic particle simulations reveal that in the oxygen discharge, the bulk electric field becomes quite strong and is out of phase with the sheath field. Therefore, it retards the resonant electrons when traversing the bulk, resulting in a suppressed BRH. This effect becomes more pronounced at lower high-frequency power, when the discharge mode changes from electropositive to electronegative.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Electron energy distribution functions measured by Langmuir probe with optical emission spectroscopy in very high frequency capacitive discharge in nitrogen

By using a rf compensated Langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy, the effects of driving frequency (13.56-50 MHz) on the electron energy probability function (EEPF), electron density, electron temperature, and the vibrational and rotational temperatures in capacitively coupled nitrogen discharge were investigated. Measurements were performed in the pressure range 60-200 mTorr, and at a fixed voltage of 140 V (peak-to-peak). With increasing the driving frequency, the dissipated power and electron density markedly increased along with the intensity of the optical emission lines belonging to the 2nd positive (337.1 nm) and 1st negative systems (391.4 nm) of N{sub 2}. The EEPF at low pressure 60 mTorr is two-temperature (bi-Maxwellian) distribution, irrespective of the driving frequency, in contrast with argon and helium discharges in the similar conditions. The mechanism forming such bi-Maxwellian shape was explained by two combined effects: one is the collisionless sheath-heating effect enhancing the tail electron population, and the other is the collision-induced reduction of electrons at the energy 2-4 eV where the collision cross-section for the vibrational excitation has a resonantly large peak. The two-temperature EEPF structure was basically retained at moderate pressure 120 mTorr and high pressure 200 mTorr. The vibrational temperature T{sub vib} and rotational temperature T{sub rot} are measured for the sequence ({Delta}{nu}=-2) of N{sub 2} second positive system (C{sup 3}{Pi}{sub u}{yields}B{sup 3}{Pi}{sub g}) using the method of comparing the measured and calculated spectra with a chi-squared minimization procedure. It was found that, both of T{sub vib} and T{sub rot} are a weakly dependent on driving frequency at low pressure 60 mTorr. At higher pressure (120 and 200 mTorr), T{sub vib} rises monotonically with the driving frequency, whereas the T{sub rot} slightly decreases with frequency below 37 MHz, beyond which it relatively increases or saturated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

One-dimensional hybrid simulation of the dc/RF combined driven capacitively coupled CF{sub 4} plasmas

We developed a one-dimensional hybrid model to simulate the dc/RF combined driven capacitively coupled plasma for CF{sub 4} discharges. The numerical results show the influence of the dc source on the plasma density distribution, ion energy distributions (IEDs), and ion angle distributions (IADs) on both RF and dc electrodes. The increase of dc voltage impels more ions with high energy to the electrode applied to the dc source, which makes the IEDs at the dc electrode shift toward higher energy and the peaks in IADs shift toward the small angle region. At the same time, it also decreases ion-energy at the RF electrode and enlarges the ion-angles which strike the RF electrode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Energy distribution of electron flux at electrodes in a low pressure capacitively coupled plasma

A one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) model is used to examine the energy distribution of electron flux at electrodes [labeled g{sub e}({epsilon},t), where {epsilon} is energy and t is time] in a low pressure 60 MHz capacitively coupled Ar discharge. The effect of gas pressure and an auxiliary DC voltage on g{sub e}({epsilon},t) is also investigated. It is found that the electrons only leave the plasma for a short time period during the radio-frequency (RF) cycle when the sheath collapses at the electrode. Furthermore, majority of the exiting electrons have energies below 10 eV with a distribution g{sub e}({epsilon},t) that is narrow in both energy and time. At relatively high pressures ({>=}4.67 Pa for the conditions considered), the relationship between the time-average distribution g{sub e}({epsilon}) and electron temperature in the plasma (T{sub e}) can be easily established. Below 4.67 Pa, kinetic effects become important, making it difficult to interpret g{sub e}({epsilon}) in terms of T{sub e}. At low pressures, g{sub e}({epsilon},t) is found to broaden in both energy and time except for a narrow pressure range around 1.2 Pa where the distribution narrows temporally. These low pressure kinetic phenomena are observed when the electrons can be accelerated by expanding sheaths to speeds that allow them to traverse the inter-electrode distance quickly (<1.5 RF cycles for conditions considered) and when electrons undergo few collisions during this excursion. The mean energy of exiting electrons increases with decreasing gas pressure, especially below 1.0 Pa, due to higher T{sub e} and secondary electrons retaining a larger fraction of the energy they gained during initial sheath acceleration. For the relatively small DC voltages examined ( Double-Vertical-Line V{sub dc} Double-Vertical-Line /V{sub rf} {<=} 0.15), the application of a negative DC voltage on an electrode decreases the electron flux there but has a weak impact on the g{sub e} profile.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Simulation benchmarks for low-pressure plasmas: Capacitive discharges

Benchmarking is generally accepted as an important element in demonstrating the correctness of computer simulations. In the modern sense, a benchmark is a computer simulation result that has evidence of correctness, is accompanied by estimates of relevant errors, and which can thus be used as a basis for judging the accuracy and efficiency of other codes. In this paper, we present four benchmark cases related to capacitively coupled discharges. These benchmarks prescribe all relevant physical and numerical parameters. We have simulated the benchmark conditions using five independently developed particle-in-cell codes. We show that the results of these simulations are statistically indistinguishable, within bounds of uncertainty that we define. We, therefore, claim that the results of these simulations represent strong benchmarks, which can be used as a basis for evaluating the accuracy of other codes. These other codes could include other approaches than particle-in-cell simulations, where benchmarking could examine not just implementation accuracy and efficiency, but also the fidelity of different physical models, such as moment or hybrid models. We discuss an example of this kind in the Appendix. Of course, the methodology that we have developed can also be readily extended to a suite of benchmarks with coverage of a wider range of physical and chemical phenomena.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Combined effects of gas pressure and exciting frequency on electron energy distribution functions in hydrogen capacitively coupled plasmas

The combined effects of the variation of hydrogen pressure (40-400 mTorr) and exciting frequency (13.56-50 MHz) on the electron energy probability function (EEPF) and other plasma parameters in capacitively coupled hydrogen H{sub 2} discharge at fixed discharge voltage were investigated using rf-compensated Langmuir probe. At a fixed exciting frequency of 13.56 MHz, the EEPF evolved from Maxwellian-like distribution to a bi-Maxwellian distribution when the H{sub 2} pressure increased, possibly due to efficient vibrational excitation. The electron density largely increased to a peak value and then decreased with the increase of H{sub 2} pressure. Meanwhile, the electron temperature and plasma potential significantly decrease and reaching a minimum at 120 mTorr beyond, which saturated or slightly increases. On the other hand, the dissipated power and electron density markedly increased with increasing the exciting frequency at fixed H{sub 2} pressure and voltage. The electron temperatures negligibly dependent on the driving frequency. The EEPFs at low pressure 60 mTorr resemble Maxwellian-like distribution and evolve into a bi-Maxwellian type as frequency increased, due to a collisonless (stochastic) sheath-heating in the very high frequency regime, while the EEPF at hydrogen pressure {>=}120 mTorr retained a bi-Maxwellian-type distribution irrespective of the driving frequency. Such evolution of the EEPFs shape with the driving frequency and hydrogen pressure has been discussed on the basis of electron diffusion processes and low threshold-energy inelastic collision processes taking place in the discharge. The ratio of stochastic power to bulk power heating ratio is dependent on the hydrogen pressure while it is independent on the driving frequency.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Frequency dependence of the electrical asymmetry effect in dual-frequency capacitively coupled discharges

Using experimental measurements complemented with particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we demonstrate a reduction in the electrical asymmetry effect in capacitively coupled discharges for low excitation frequencies (0.8 MHz < f<10 MHz). These results confirm PIC simulation predictions made by [I. Korolov, Z. Donko, U. Czarnetzki, and J. Schulze, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 45, 465205 (2012)], where this effect was investigated for dual-frequency discharges in which the driving frequencies are phase-shifted harmonics. Because the reduction in electrical asymmetry is a sensitive function of the secondary electron emission coefficient, we are able to non-invasively estimate this coefficient as 0.035 for argon ions incident on aluminium electrodes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

Narrow gap electronegative capacitive discharges

Narrow gap electronegative (EN) capacitive discharges are widely used in industry and have unique features not found in conventional discharges. In this paper, plasma parameters are determined over a range of decreasing gap length L from values for which an electropositive (EP) edge exists (2-region case) to smaller L-values for which the EN region connects directly to the sheath (1-region case). Parametric studies are performed at applied voltage V{sub rf}=500 V for pressures of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mTorr, and additionally at 50 mTorr for 1000 and 2000 V. Numerical results are given for a parallel plate oxygen discharge using a planar 1D3v (1 spatial dimension, 3 velocity components) particle-in-cell (PIC) code. New interesting phenomena are found for the case in which an EP edge does not exist. This 1-region case has not previously been investigated in detail, either numerically or analytically. In particular, attachment in the sheaths is important, and the central electron density n{sub e0} is depressed below the density n{sub esh} at the sheath edge. The sheath oscillations also extend into the EN core, creating an edge region lying within the sheath and not characterized by the standard diffusion in an EN plasma. An analytical model is developed using minimal inputs from the PIC results, and compared to the PIC results for a base case at V{sub rf}=500 V and 50 mTorr, showing good agreement. Selected comparisons are made at the other voltages and pressures. A self-consistent model is also developed and compared to the PIC results, giving reasonable agreement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Spectroscopy diagnostic of dual-frequency capacitively coupled CHF{sub 3}/Ar plasma

A combined spectroscopic method of absorption, actinometry, and relative optical emission intensity is employed to determine the absolute CF{sub 2} density, the relative F and H densities, H atom excitation temperature and the electron density in dual-frequency (60/2 MHz) capacitively coupled CHF{sub 3}/Ar plasmas. The effects of different control parameters, such as high-frequency (HF) power, low-frequency (LF) power, gas pressure, gap length and content of CHF{sub 3}, on the concentration of radical CF{sub 2}, F, and H and excitation temperature are discussed, respectively. It is found that the concentration of CF{sub 2} is strongly dependent on the HF power, operating pressure and the proportion of CHF{sub 3} in feed gas, while it is almost independent of the LF power and the gap length. A higher concentration ratio of F to CF{sub 2} could be obtained in dual-frequency discharge case. Finally, the generation and decay mechanisms of CF{sub 2} and F were also discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗