THE MOVEMENT AND THERMAL HISTORY OF AN ALUMINIUM PARTICLE IN A RF PLASMA GENERATOR

In previous studies on plasma-particle interaction, as far as we know, the rf plasma flow and temperature fields are all simulated by the non-self-consistent one-dimensional electromagnetic (1-D EM) field model. In the present paper, the complete self-consistent two-dimensional electromagnetic (2-D EM) field model in- corporating the axial Lorentz force component, which is neglected in the 1-D model, is firstly adopted to calculate the aluminium particle trajectory and thermal history in atmospheric rf Ar plasma with the particle evaporation effect included. The cru- cial effect of reverse flow within the coil region on the particle trajectory is discovered and the results show that the 2-D EM field model must be adopted instead of the 1-D model when the plasma-particle interaction is studied. The effect of carrier gas flux on the particle movement and heating are also studied, resulting in some useful conclusions for both plasma theory and application.

Development of Powerful RF Plasma Sources for Present and Future NBI Systems

This paper deals with the topic of RF plasma sources and their application inhigh-power neutral beam heating systems for nuclear fusion devices. RF sources represent aninteresting alternative to the conventional arc discharge sources. Due to the absence of hotfilaments they exhibit an inherent simplicity both in mechanical and electrical aspects andconsequently offer advantages in terms of cost savings, gain in availability and reliability andreduced maintenance. This renders the RF plasma source attractive for any long pulse (> 10 sec) NBIsystem and in particular for the ITER NBI system. The latter, however, requires that the RF plasmasource is also capable of delivering negative rather than positive hydrogen ions. In the first partof the paper the types, characteristics and operation experience of RF plasma sources for positiveions in operation are described. The second part is devoted to the development for ITER NBI: thebasic requirements, physics and technology issues and the present status are discussed.

Numerical simulation and experimental research on an inductively coupled RF plasma cathode

In this study,numerical simulation and discharge current tests were conducted on an inductively coupled radio frequency(RF)plasma cathode.Numerical simulations and experimental measurements were performed to study the factors influencing the electron extraction characteristics,including the gas type,gas flow,input power and extracting voltage.The simulation results were approximately consistent with the experimental results.We experimentally found that the RF input power mainly determines the extracted electron current.An electron current greater than 1 A was acquired at 270 W(RF input power),2.766 sccm(xenon gas).Our results prove that an inductively coupled RF plasma cathode can be reasonable and feasible,particularly for low power electric propulsion devices.

Plasma density enhancement in radio-frequency hollow electrode discharge

The plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes in capacitively coupled radio-frequency(RF) discharges is investigated by a two-dimensional(2D) particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo collision(PIC/MCC) model. Results show that plasma exists inside the cavity when the sheath inside the hollow electrode hole is fully collapsed, which is an essential condition for the plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes. In addition, the existence of the electron density peak at the orifice is generated via the hollow cathode effect(HCE), which plays an important role in the density enhancement. It is also found that the radial width of bulk plasma at the orifice affects the magnitude of the density enhancement, and narrow radial plasma bulk width at the orifice is not beneficial to obtain high-density plasma outside hollow electrodes.Higher electron density at the orifice, combined with larger radial plasma bulk width at the orifice,causes higher electron density outside hollow electrodes. The results also imply that the HCE strength inside the cavity cannot be determined by the magnitude of the electron density outside hollow electrodes.

Effect of a negative DC bias on a capacitively coupled Ar plasma operated at different radiofrequency voltages and gas pressures

The effect of a negative DC bias,|V_(dc)|,on the electrical parameters and discharge mode is investigated experimentally in a radiofrequency(RF)capacitively coupled Ar plasma operated at different RF voltage amplitudes and gas pressures.The electron density is measured using a hairpin probe and the spatio-temporal distribution of the electron-impact excitation rate is determined by phase-resolved optical emission spectroscopy.The electrical parameters are obtained based on the waveforms of the electrode voltage and plasma current measured by a voltage probe and a current probe.It was found that at a low|V_(dc)|,i.e.inα-mode,the electron density and RF current decline with increasing|V_(dc)|;meanwhile,the plasma impedance becomes more capacitive due to a widened sheath.Therefore,RF power deposition is suppressed.When|V_(dc)|exceeds a certain value,the plasma changes toα–γhybrid mode(or the discharge becomes dominated by theγ-mode),manifesting a drastically growing electron density and a moderately increasing RF current.Meanwhile,the plasma impedance becomes more resistive,so RF power deposition is enhanced with|V_(dc)|.We also found that the electrical parameters show similar dependence on|V_(dc)|at different RF voltages,andα–γmode transition occurs at a lower|V_(dc)|at a higher RF voltage.By increasing the pressure,plasma impedance becomes more resistive,so RF power deposition and electron density are enhanced.In particular,theα–γmode transition tends to occur at a lower|V_(dc)|with increase in pressure.

Study on the RF inductively coupled plasma spheroidization of refractory W and W-Ta alloy powders

Spherical powders with good flowability and high stacking density are mandatory for powder bed additive manufacturing. Nevertheless, the preparation of spherical refractory tungsten and tungsten alloy powders is a formidable task. In this paper, spherical refractory metal powders processed by high-energy stir ball milling and RF inductively coupled plasma were investigated. By utilizing the technical route, pure spherical tungsten powders were prepared successfully, the flowability increased from 10.7 s/50 g to 5.5 s/50 g and apparent density increased from 6.916 g cm-3 to 11.041 g cm-3. Alloying element tantalum can reduce the tendency to micro- crack during tungsten laser melting and rapid solidification process. Spherical W-6Ta （%wt） powders were prepared in this way, homogeneous dispersion of tantalum in a tungsten matrix occurred but a small amount of flake-like shape particles appeared after high-energy stir ball milling. The flake-like shape particles can hardly be spheroidized in subsequent RF inductively coupled plasma process, might result from the unique suspended state of flaky particles under complex electric and magnetic fields as well as plasma-particle heat exchange was different under various turbulence models. As a result, the flake-like shape particles cannot pass through the high-temperature area of thermal plasma torch and cannot be spheroidized properly.

RF Plasma MBE生长GaN材料及特性研究

用ＲＦＰｌａｓｍａ ＭＢＥ方法生长出了ＧａＮ 材料，它的Ｘ 射线衍射半峰宽为３３５ 秒，７７Ｋ 下ＰＬ发光峰半峰宽为２２ｍｅＶ，表明了材料具有较高的晶体质量。根据Ｘ射线衍射分析，位错密度约为７ ．３ ×１０８ｃｍ －２ 。用Ｓｉ 作为掺杂剂，所得载流子浓度可覆盖１０１７ － １０１９ｃｍ －３ 的范围。掺Ｓｉ ＧａＮ 的ＰＬ谱表明，Ｓｉ 的引入可提高材料的发光效率。

Analysis of Langmuir Probe Characteristics for Measurement of Plasma Parameters in RF Discharge Plasmas

A simple method for measuring RF plasma parameters by means of a DC-biased Langmuir probe is developed. The object of this paper is to ensure the reliability of this method by using the other methods with different principles. First, Langmuir probe current response on RF voltage superimposed to DC biased probe was examined in DC plasmas. Next, probe current response of DC biased probe in RF plasmas was studied and compared with the first experiment. The results were confirmed by using an emissive prove method, an ion acoustic wave method, and a square pulse response method. The method using a simple Langmuir probe is useful and convenient for measuring electron temperature , electron density , time-averaged space potential , and amplitude of space potential oscillation in RF plasmas with a frequency of the order of .

基于湍流模型的DC-RF混合等离子体流动及传热特性研究

直流-射频(Direct Current-Radio Frequency,DC-RF)混合等离子体具有高温、高化学活性等特点,在核用超细粉末材料制备领域有着广阔的应用前景。对这种混合等离子体的特性进行研究,可以为等离子体发生器装置的设计及稳定运行提供参考。本文采用k-ε湍流模型,对DC-RF混合等离子体发生器内的热等离子体的温度及流场空间分布进行模拟,并在此基础上分析了各工作参数对混合等离子体流动及传热特性的影响。模拟结果表明:提高DC弧电流、增大反应气及冷却气流量均能减弱混合等离子体发生器入口处的回流效应;提升RF线圈电流则能增加RF线圈附近的等离子体温度及高温弧区面积,但过大的气流量及过高的线圈电流会对发生器装置的正常工作产生不利影响。因此,需要合理调节各种工作参数来改变混合等离子体的流场分布,从而在保证装置稳定运行的前提下满足不同材料处理的需求。

THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS AND EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION FOR SYNTHESIZING SILICON NITRIDE NANOPARTICLES USING RF PLASMA CVD

Silicon nitride nanoparticles were synthesized by radio-frequency (RF) plasma chemical vapor deposi-tion (PCVD) using silicon tetrachloride and ammonia as precursors, and argon as carrier gas. By assuming chemical thermodynamic equilibrium in the system, a computer program based on chemical thermodynamics was used to cal-culate the compositions of the system at different initial concentrations and final temperatures. At first, five elements and thirty-four species were considered. The effects of temperatures, and concentrations of ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen on the equilibrium compositions were analyzed. It was found that the optimal reaction temperature range should be 1200 to 1500 K to obtain the highest conversion and yield of Si3N4. The inlet position of ammonia should be lower than that of silicon tetrachloride, and both should be located at the tail of the plasma torch. The best mole ratio of ammonia to silicon tetrachloride was found to be about 6. Later, the influences of water (and oxygen) were considered, and 17 additional species were included in the computations. It was found that oxygen or water content in the raw materials should be as low as possible in order to have high nitride content in the produced Si3N4. Nitrogen or hydrogen might be used to replace some or even all the argon to improve the yield of silicon nitride and reduce the cost. The ratio of ammonia to silicon tetrachloride should be high enough to obtain high conversion, but not exces-sively high to reduce the oxygen content due to the existence of water in ammonia. The simulated results were veri-fied by experiments.

Synthesis of Ni-CeO_2 catalyst for the partial oxidation of methane using RF thermal plasma

Ni‐CeO2 catalysts with a nickel content of 50 mol% were prepared using RF thermal plasma, and their catalytic activities for methane partial oxidation were characterized. For the synthesis of Ni‐CeO2 catalysts, a precursor containing Ni（～5‐μm diameter） and CeO2（～200‐nm diameter）powders were heated simultaneously using an RF plasma at a power level of ～52 kVA and a powder feeding rate of ～120 g/h. From the X‐ray diffraction data and transmission electron microscopy images, the precursor formed into high crystalline CeO2 supports with nanosized Ni particles（ 50‐nm diameter） on their surfaces. The catalytic performance was evaluated under atmospheric pressure at 500 °C and a CH4：O2 molar ratio of 2：1 with Ar diluent. Although the Ni content was high（～50 mol%）, the experimental results reveal a methane conversion rate of 70%, selectivities of CO and H2 greater than 90% and slight carbon coking during an on‐stream test at 550 °C for 24 h.However, at 750 °C, the on‐stream test revealed the formation of filament‐like carbons with an increased methane conversion rate over 90%.

Influences of the cold atmospheric plasma jet treatment on the properties of the demineralized dentin surfaces

Improvement of the bonding strength and durability between the dentin surface and the composite resin is a challenging job in dentistry. In this paper, a radio-frequency atmosphericpressure glow discharge(RF-APGD) plasma jet is employed for the treatment of the acid-etched dentin surfaces used for the composite restoration. The properties of the plasma treated dentin surfaces and the resin–dentin interfaces are analyzed using the x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, contact angle goniometer, scanning electron microscope and microtensile tester.The experimental results show that, due to the abundant chemically reactive species existing in the RF-APGD plasma jet under a stable and low energy input operating mode, the contact angle of the plasma-treated dentin surfaces decreases to a stable level with the increase of the atomic percentage of oxygen in the specimens; the formation of the long resin tags in the scattered clusters and the hybrid layers at the resin–dentin interfaces significantly improve the bonding strength and durability. These results indicate that the RF-APGD plasma jet is an effective tool for modifying the chemical properties of the dentin surfaces, and for improving the immediate bonding strength and the durability of the resin-dentin bonding in dentistry.

Surface modification of poly(vinyl chloride)by long-distance and direct argon RF plasma

This paper reports the effects of long- distance and direct argon radio frequency (RF) plasma surface treatment on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films in terms of changes in surface wettability and surface chemistry. The surface properties are char- acterized by the water contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scan- ning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanism is further analyzed and the role of all kinds of active species, e.g. electrons, ions and free radicals in- volved in plasma surface modification is further evaluated. Results show that the long-distance and direct RF plasma treatments modify the PVC surface in morphology and composition, and both modifica- tions cause surface oxidation of PVC films, in the forming of functional groups enhancing polymer wet- tability. The effect of the long-distance argon RF plasma is more notable. This suggests that long-distance argon RF plasma could restrain the ion and electron eroding effect and enhance free radical reaction.

A One-Dimensional Hybrid Simulation of DC/RF Combined Driven Capacitive Plasma

We developed a one-dimensional hybrid model to simulate the DC/RF combined driven capacitively coupled plasma for argon discharges. The numerical results are used to analyze the influence of the DC source on the plasma density distribution, ion energy distributions （IEDs） and ion angle distributions （IADs） on both the RF and DC electrodes. The increase in DC voltage drives more high-energy ions to the electrode applied to the DC source, which makes the IEDs at the DC electrode shift towards higher energy, and the peaks in the IADs shift towards small angle regions. At the same time, it also decreases the ion energy at the RF electrode and enlarges the incident angles of the ions, which strike the RF electrode.

Electric and plasma characteristics of RF discharge plasma actuation under varying pressures

The electric and plasma characteristics of RF discharge plasma actuation under varying pressure have been inves- tigated experimentally. As the pressure increases, the shapes of charge-voltage Lissajous curves vary, and the discharge energy increases. The emission spectra show significant difference as the pressure varies. When the pressure is 1000 Pa, the electron temperature is estimated to be 4.139 eV, the electron density and the vibrational temperature of plasma are /peak /lPeak which describes the electron temper- 4.71 x 10^11 cm-3 and 1.27 eV, respectively. The ratio of spectral lines ＂391.4/＇380.5 ature hardly changes when the pressure varies between 5000-30000 Pa, while it increases remarkably with the pressure below 5000 Pa, indicating a transition from filamentary discharge to glow discharge. The characteristics of emission spec- trum are obviously influenced by the loading power. With more loading power, both of the illumination and emission spectrum intensity increase at 10000 Pa. The pin-pin electrode RF discharge is arc-like at power higher than 33 W, which results in a macroscopic air temperature increase.

Measurement of the O_2 Dissociation Fraction in RF Low Pressure O_2/Ar Plasma Using Optical Emission Spectrometry

Measurement of the oxygen dissociation fraction in RF low pressure oxygen/argon plasma using optical emission spectrometry is presented. The oxygen dissociation fraction and its evolutions as functions of operational parameters were determined using argon as the actinometer. At a pressure of 30 Pa, the oxygen dissociation fraction decreased from 13.4% to 9.5% as the input power increased from 10 W to 70 W. At an input power of 50 W, the oxygen dissociation fraction decreased from 12.3% to 7.7% when the gas pressure increased from 10 Pa to 40 Pa. The influences of operational parameters on the generation of atomic oxygen were also discussed.

Comparison of Surface Modification of CR-39 Polymer Film Using RF and DC Glow Discharges Plasma

Surfaces of optical elements are deposited by antireflection coatings (ARCs) to decrease the reflection of light. Surface needs treatment before depositing the ARC one of treatment processes by plasma for adhesion improvement and surface hardening. A comparison of RF and DC glow discharges treated CR-39 polymer films gives insight into the mechanism of these surface processes. The surface properties of the plasma-treated samples are examined by microscopy techniques include contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and refractive index measurements. Results show that the plasma treatment modifies the polymer surface in both composition and morphology. It is found that the surface wettability is enhanced after plasma treatment. It is found that, RF plasma is more effective than DC plasma in CR-39 surface modification, as it implants more oxygen atoms into the surface and makes the contact angle declining to a lower level.

Tokamak Plasma Flows Induced by Local RF Forces

The tokamak plasma flows induced by the local radio frequency （RF） forces in the core region are analyzed. The effective components of local RF forces are composed of the momentum absorption term and the resonant parallel momentum transport term （i.e. the parallel component of the resonant ponderomotive forces）. Different momentum balance relations are em- ployed to calculate the plasma flows depending on different assumptions of momentum transport. With the RF fields solved from RF simulation codes, the toroidal and poloidal flows by these forces under the lower hybrid current drive and the mode conversion ion cyclotron resonance heating on EAST-like plasmas are evaluated.

Balmer H_α,H_β and H_γ Spectral Lines Intensities in High-Power RF Hydrogen Plasmas

Hα（Balmer-alpha）, Hβ （Balmer-beta） and Hγ （Balmer-gamma） spectral line inten- sities in atomic hydrogen plasma are investigated by using a high-power RF source. The intensities of the Hα, Hβ and Hγ spectral lines are detected by increasing the input power （0-6 kW） of ICPs （inductively coupled plasmas）. With the increase of net input power, the intensity of Hα im- proves rapidly （0-2 kW）, and then reaches its dynamic equilibrium; the intensities of Hβ can be divided into three processes： obvious increase （0-2 kW）, rapid increase （2-4 kW）, almost constant （4-6 kW）; while the intensities of Hγ increase very slowly. The energy levels of the excited hydro- gen atoms and the splitting energy levels produced by an obvious Stark effect play an important role in the results.

双驱动射频负氢离子源匹配网络设计与实验研究

随着磁约束聚变实验装置对中性束注入器的输出束流强度与脉冲时间的要求越来越高,开展高功率大面积射频离子源的研究迫在眉睫。为了实现大面积、高密度均匀等离子体放电,基于多驱动射频离子源的设计是当前的发展趋势,而阻抗匹配网络是射频功率源将最大功率输送至线圈并耦合至等离子体的关键,故对其结构设计和调谐特性的研究是不可或缺的。基于前期在单驱动射频离子源的研究基础上,结合双驱动射频离子源的放电需求,开展了双驱动阻抗匹配网络优化结构的设计与分析,通过实验中对匹配网络的调谐,成功实现了140 kW高功率和25 kW/1 000 s长脉冲的稳定运行。随后在等离子体稳定放电的基础上研究了两个驱动器之间的功率分配均匀性问题,实验结果表明了该匹配网络的优化设计合理可行,上下驱动器的射频功率分配基本均匀。