Wave field structure and power coupling features of blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antenna geometries and frequencies

This paper deals with wave propagation and power coupling in blue-core helicon plasma driven by various antennas and frequencies.It is found that compared to non-blue-core mode,for blue-core mode,the wave can propagate in the core region,and it decays sharply outside the core.The power absorption is lower and steeper in radius for blue-core mode.Regarding the effects of antenna geometry for blue-core mode,it shows that half helix antenna yields the strongest wave field and power absorption,while loop antenna yields the lowest.Moreover,near axis,for antennas with m=+1,the wave field increases with axial distance.In the core region,the wave number approaches to a saturation value at much lower frequency for non-blue-core mode compared to blue-core mode.The total loading resistance is much lower for blue-core mode.These findings are valuable to understanding the physics of blue-core helicon discharge and optimizing the experimental performance of blue-core helicon plasma sources for applications such as space propulsion and material treatment.

Effect of antenna helicity on discharge characteristics of helicon plasma under a divergent magnetic field

The characteristics of the blue core phenomenon observed in a divergent magnetic field helicon plasma are investigated using two different helical antennas, namely right-handed and lefthanded helical antennas. The mode transition, discharge image, spatial profiles of plasma density and electron temperature are diagnosed using a Langmuir probe, a Nikon D90 camera,an intensified charge-coupled device camera and an optical emission spectrometer, respectively.The results demonstrated that the blue core phenomenon appeared in the upstream region of the discharge tube at a fixed magnetic field under both helical antennas. However, it is more likely to appear in a right-handed helical antenna, in which the plasma density and ionization rate of the helicon plasma are higher. The spatial profiles of the plasma density and electron temperature are also different in both axial and radial directions for these two kinds of helical antenna. The wavelength calculated based on the dispersion relation of the bounded whistler wave is consistent with the order of magnitude of plasma length. It is proved that the helicon plasma is part of the wave mode discharge mechanism.

Comparison of heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave modes with and without blue core

In this work,we investigated the discharge characteristics and heating mechanisms of argon helicon plasma in different wave coupled modes with and without blue core.Spatially resolved spectroscopy and emission intensity of argon atom and ion lines were measured via local optical emission spectroscopy,and electron density was measured experimentally by an RFcompensated Langmuir probe.The relation between the emission intensity and the electron density was obtained and the wavenumbers of helicon and’Trivelpiece-Gould’(TG)waves were calculated by solving the dispersion relation in wave modes.The results show that at least two distinct wave coupled modes appear in argon helicon plasma at increasing RF power,i.e.blue core(or BC)mode with a significant bright core of blue lights and a normal wave(NW)mode without blue core.The emission intensity of atom line 750.5 nm(lArⅠ750.5nm)is related to the electron density and tends to be saturated in wave coupled modes due to the neutral depletion,while the intensity of ion line 480.6 nm(IArⅡ480.6nm)is a function of the electron density and temperature,and increases dramatically as the RF power is increased.Theoretical analysis shows that TG waves are strongly damped at the plasma edge in NW and/or BC modes,while helicon waves are the dominant mechanism of power deposition or central heating of electrons in both modes.The formation of BC column mainly depends on the enhanced central electron heating by helicon waves rather than TG waves since the excitation of TG waves would be suppressed in this special anti-resonance region.

Effect of neutral pressure on the blue core in Ar helicon plasma under an inhomogeneous magnetic field

The effect of neutral pressure on the blue core in Ar helicon plasma under an inhomogeneous magnetic field was investigated in this work.The neutral pressure was set to 0.08 Pa,0.36 Pa,and 0.68 Pa.A Nikon camera,intensified charge-coupled device(ICCD),optical emission spectrometer(OES),and Langmuir probe were used to diagnose the blue core in helicon plasma.Helicon plasma discharges experienced density jumps from the E mode,H mode to W mode before power just rose to 200 W.The plasma density increased and maintained a central peak with the increase of neutral pressure.However,the brightness of the blue core gradually decreased.It is demonstrated that the relative intensity of Ar II spectral lines and the ionization rate in the central area were reduced.Radial electron temperature profiles were flattened and became hollow as neutral pressure increased.It is demonstrated that increasing the neutral pressure weakened the central heating efficiency dominated by the helicon wave and strengthened the edge heating efficiency governed by the TG wave and skin effect.Therefore,the present experiment successfully reveals how the neutral pressure affects the heating mechanism of helicon plasma in an inhomogeneous magnetic field.

Investigation of radial heat conduction with 1D self-consistent model in helicon plasmas

A 1D radially self-consistent model in helicon plasmas has been established to investigate the influence of radial heat conduction on plasma transport and wave propagation.Two kinds of 1D radial fluid models,with and without considering heat conduction,have been developed to couple the 1D plasma-wave interaction model,and self-consistent solutions have been obtained.It is concluded that in the low magnetic field range the radial heat conduction plays a moderate role in the transport of helicon plasmas and the importance depends on the application of the helicon source.It influences the local energy balance leading to enhancement of the electron temperature in the bulk region and a decrease in plasma density.The power deposition in the plasma is mainly balanced by collisional processes and axial diffusion,whereas it is compensated by heat conduction in the bulk region and consumed near the boundary.The role of radial heat conduction in the large magnetic field regime becomes negligible and the two fluid models show consistency.The local power balance,especially near the wall,is improved when conductive heat is taken into account.

Observation of low-frequency oscillation in argon helicon discharge

We present here a kind of low-frequency oscillation in argon helicon discharge with a half helical antenna.This time-dependent instability shows a global quasi-periodic oscillation of plasma density and electron temperature,with a typical frequency of a few tens of Hz which increases with external magnetic field as well as radiofrequency(RF)power.The relative oscillation amplitude decreases with magnetic field and RF power,but the rising time and pulse width do not change significantly under different discharge conditions.The oscillation can only be observed in some specific conditions of low magnetic fields and low RF power when the gas flows in from one end of the discharge area and out from another end.This global instability is suggested to be attributed to the pressure instability of neutral depletion,which is the result of compound action of gas depletion by heating expansion and gas replenishment from upstream.There are two kinds of oscillations,large and small amplitude oscillations,occurring in different discharge modes.This study could be a good verification of and complement to earlier experiments.This kind of spontaneous pulse phenomenon is also helpful in realizing a pulsing plasma source without a pulsed power supply.

Influence of magnetic field on power deposition in high magnetic field helicon experiment

Based on high magnetic field helicon experiment(HMHX), HELIC code was used to study the effect of different magnetic fields on the power deposition under parabolic distribution. This paper is divided into three parts: preliminary calculation, actual discharge experiment and calculation. The results of preliminary calculation show that a magnetic field that is too small or too large cannot produce a good power deposition effect. When the magnetic field strength is 1200 Gs,a better power deposition can be obtained. The actual discharge experiment illustrates that the change of the magnetic field will have a certain influence on the discharge phenomenon. Finally, the results of verification calculation successfully verify the accuracy of the results of preliminary simulation. The results show that in the actual discharge experiment, it can achieve the best deposition effect when the magnetic field is 1185 Gs.

Development of a compact high-density blue core helicon plasma device under 2000 G magnetic field of ring permanent magnets

A helicon wave plasma source in a tube of ring permanent magnets(PMs)has been constructed to study the effect of the conflguration of the magnetic fleld with zero magnetic points on plasma parameters.This device also serves as an exploration platform for a simple,compact helicon wave plasma source adaptable to engineering applications.A small-diameter(26 mm)highdensity(~10^(18)m^(-3))blue core plasma is produced in~1 Pa argon by helicon RF(radiofrequency)discharge using a NagoyaⅢantenna under magnetic fleld(~2 k G)of compact ring PMs(length~204 mm).Operational parameters,i.e.RF power and neutral gas pressure are scanned and plasma density is measured by an RF compensated probe to explore the operating characteristics of the device.Iconic feature of a helicon discharge,such as blue core plasmas and E-H-W mode transitions are well observed in the device,despite the wavelength calculated using the conventional dispersion relation of a bounded whistler waves(Chen 1991 Plasma Phys.Control.Fusion 33339)is order of magnitudes longer than the length of the plasma in this device which seems to suggest that such helicon device is impossible.Surprisingly,the wavelength calculated by the unbounded whistle wave dispersion formula in turn suggests the occurrence of a half wavelength resonance.

Study of axial double layer in helicon plasma by optical emission spectroscopy and simple probe

In this work we used a passive measurement method based on a high-impedance electrostatic probe and an optical emission spectroscope （OES） to investigate the characteristics of the double layer （DL） in an argon helicon plasma. The DL can be confirmed by a rapid change in the plasma potential along the axis. The axial potential variation of the passive measurement shows that the DL forms near a region of strong magnetic field gradient when the plasma is operated in wave- coupled mode, and the DL strength increases at higher powers in this experiment. The emission intensity of the argon atom line, which is strongly dependent on the metastable atom concentration, shows a similar spatial distribution to the plasma potential along the axis. The emission intensity of the argon atom line and the argon ion line in the DL suggests the existence of an energetic electron population upstream of the DL. The electron density upstream is much higher than that downstream, which is mainly caused by these energetic electrons.

The properties of N-doped diamond-like carbon films prepared by helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition

In this paper, N-doped diamond-like carbon(DLC) films were deposited on silicon substrates by using helicon wave plasma chemical vapor deposition(HWP-CVD) with the Ar/CH_4/N_2 mixed gas. The surface morphology, structural and mechanical properties of the N-doped DLC films were investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Raman spectra, and atomic force microscopy(AFM). It can be observed from SEM images that surface morphology of the films become compact and uniform due to the incorporation of N. The maximum of the deposition rate of the films is 143 nm min^(-1), which is related to the high plasma density. The results of XPS show that the N incorporates in the films and the C-C sp^3 bond content increases firstly up to the maximum(20%) at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, and then decreases with further increase in the N_2 flow rate. The maximum Young's modulus of the films is obtained by the doping of N and reaches 80 GPa at 10 sccm of N_2 flow rate, which is measured by AFM in the scanning probe microscope mode. Meanwhile, friction characteristic of the N-doped DLC films reaches a minimum value of 0.010.

Effect of Radial Density Configuration on Wave Field and Energy Flow in Axially Uniform Helicon Plasma

The effect of the radial density configuration in terms of width, edge gradient and volume gradient on the wave field and energy flow in an axially uniform helicon plasma is studied in detail. A three-parameter function is employed to describe the density, covering uniform,parabolic, linear and Gaussian profiles. It finds that the fraction of power deposition near the plasma edge increases with density width and edge gradient, and decays in exponential and ＂bumpon-tail＂ profiles, respectively, away from the surface. The existence of a positive second-order derivative in the volume density configuration promotes the power deposition near the plasma core, which to our best knowledge has not been pointed out before. The transverse structures of wave field and current density remain almost the same during the variation of density width and gradient, confirming the robustness of the m=1 mode observed previously. However, the structure of the electric wave field changes significantly from a uniform density configuration, for which the coupling between the Trivelpiece-Gould（TG） mode and the helicon mode is very strong, to non-uniform ones. The energy flow in the cross section of helicon plasma is presented for the first time, and behaves sensitive to the density width and edge gradient but insensitive to the volume gradient. Interestingly, the radial distribution of power deposition resembles the radial profile of the axial component of current density, suggesting the control of the power deposition profile in the experiment by particularly designing the antenna geometry to excite a required axial current distribution.

Characteristics of inductively coupled plasma(ICP)and helicon plasma in a single-loop antenna

Large area uniform plasma sources,such as high-density magnetized inductively coupled plasma(ICP)and helicon plasma,have broad applications in industry.A comprehensive comparison of ICP and helicon plasma,excited by a single-loop antenna,is presented in this paper from the perspectives of mode transition,hysteresis behavior,and density distribution.The E-H mode transition in ICP and the E-H-W mode transition in helicon plasma are clearly observed in the experiments.Besides,the considerable variation of hysteresis behavior from inverse hysteresis to normal hysteresis by the influence of the magnetic field is explored.The bi-Maxwellian and Maxwellian electron energy distribution functions in each discharge are used to explain this phenomenon,which is essentially related to the transition from a nonlocal kinetic property to a local kinetic property of electrons.In addition,we notice that the plasma density,in the radial direction,is peaked in the center of the tube in ICP,but a complicated distribution is formed in helicon plasma.In the axial direction,the maximum plasma density is still in the center of the antenna in ICP,whereas the highest plasma density is located downstream,far away from the antenna,in helicon plasma.It is believed that the reflected electrons in the sheath and pre-sheath by the upper metallic endplate and downstream propagated helicon wave will be responsible for this plasma density profile in helicon plasma.Due to the constrained electron motion in the magnetic field,an extremely uniform density distribution will be obtained with an appropriate axial magnetic field in the wave discharge mode.

Development of a helicon-wave excited plasma facility with high magnetic field for plasma-wall interactions studies

The high magnetic field helicon experiment system is a helicon wave plasma（HWP）source device in a high axial magnetic field（B0）developed for plasma–wall interactions studies for fusion reactors.This HWP was realized at low pressure（5×10^-3-10 Pa）and a RF（radio frequency,13.56 MHz）power（maximum power of 2 k W）using an internal right helical antenna（5 cm in diameter by 18 cm long）with a maximum B0of 6300 G.Ar HWP with electron density～10^18–10^20m^-3 and electron temperature～4–7 e V was produced at high B0 of 5100 G,with an RF power of 1500 W.Maximum Ar^＋ion flux of 7.8×10^23m^-2s^-1 with a bright blue core plasma was obtained at a high B0 of 2700 G and an RF power of 1500 W without bias.Plasma energy and mass spectrometer studies indicate that Ar^＋ ion-beams of 40.1 eV are formed,which are supersonic（～3.1cs）.The effect of Ar HWP discharge cleaning on the wall conditioning are investigated by using the mass spectrometry.And the consequent plasma parameters will result in favorable wall conditioning with a removal rate of 1.1×10^24N2/m^2 h.

Axial profiles of argon helicon plasma by optical emission spectroscope and Langmuir probe

We present the axial profiles of argon helicon plasma measured by a local optical emission spectroscope(OES) and Langmuir RF-compensated probe. The results show that the emission intensity of the argon atom lines(750 nm, 811 nm) is proportional to the plasma density determined by the Langmuir probe. The axial profile of helicon plasma depends on the discharge mode which changes with the RF power. Excited by helical antenna, the axial distribution of plasma density is similar to that of the external magnetic field in the capacitive coupled mode(E-mode). As the discharge mode changes into the inductively coupled mode(H-mode), the axial distribution of plasma density in the downstream can still be similar to that of the external magnetic field, but becomes more uniform in the upstream. When the discharge entered wave coupled mode(W-mode), the plasma becomes nearly uniform along the axis, showing a completely different profile from the magnetic field. The W-mode is expected to be a mixed pattern of helicon(H) and Trivelpiece-Gould(TG) waves.

Relationship of mode transitions and standing waves in helicon plasmas

Helicon wave plasma sources have the well-known advantages of high efficiency and high plasma density, with broad applications in many areas. The crucial mechanism lies with mode transitions, which has been an outstanding issue for years. We have built a fluid simulation model and further developed the Peking University Helicon Discharge code. The mode transitions, also known as density jumps, of a single-loop antenna discharge are reproduced in simulations for the first time. It is found that large-amplitude standing helicon waves(SHWs) are responsible for the mode transitions, similar to those of a resonant cavity for laser generation.This paper intends to give a complete and quantitative SHW resonance theory to explain the relationship of the mode transitions and the SHWs. The SHW resonance theory reasonably explains several key questions in helicon plasmas, such as mode transition and efficient power absorption, and helps to improve future plasma generation methods.

Modification of exposure conditions by the magnetic field configuration in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma

Modification of exposure conditions downstream in the diffusion chamber has been performed in helicon antenna-excited helium plasma by adjusting the magnetic field(intensity and geometry).In the inductively coupled mode(H mode),a reduction in ion and heat fluxes is found with increasing magnetic field intensity,which is further explained by the more highly magnetized ions off-axis around the last magnetic field lines(LMFL).However,in helicon wave mode(W mode),the increase in magnetic field intensity can dramatically increase the ion and heat fluxes.Moreover,the effect of LMFL geometry on exposure conditions is investigated.In H mode with contracting LMFL,off-axis peaks of both plasma density and electron temperature profiles shift radially inwards,bringing about a beam with better radial uniformity and higher ion and heat fluxes.In W mode,although higher ion and heat fluxes can be achieved with suppressed plasma cross-field diffusion under converging LMFL,the poor radial uniformity and a small beam diameter will limit the size of samples suitable for plasma irradiation experiments.

Directional power absorption in helicon plasma sources excited by a half-helix antenna

This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 MHz. The simulations were carried out by means of a code,HELIC. They were carried out by taking into account different inhomogeneous radial density profiles and for a wide range of plasma densities, from 10^（11） cm^（-3） to 10^（13） cm^（-3）. The magnetic field was 200, 400, 600 and 1000 G. A three-parameter function was used for generating various density profiles with different volume gradients, edge gradients and density widths. The density profile had a large effect on the efficient Trivelpiece–Gould（TG） and helicon mode excitation and antenna coupling to the plasma. The fraction of power deposition via the TG mode was extremely dependent on the plasma density near the plasma boundary. Interestingly, the obtained efficient parallel helicon wavelength was close to the anticipated value for Gaussian radial density profile.Power deposition was considerably asymmetric when the n/B_0 ratio was more than a specific value for a determined density width. The longitudinal power absorption was symmetric at approximately n_0 =10^（11） cm^（-3）, irrespective of the magnetic field supposed. The asymmetry became more pronounced when the plasma density was 10^（12） cm^（-3）. The ratio of density width to the magnetic field was an important parameter in the power coupling. At high magnetic fields, the maximum of the power absorption was reached at higher plasma density widths. There was at least one combination of the plasma density, magnetic field and density width for which the RF power deposition at both side of the tube reached its maximum value.

A radial non-uniform helicon equilibrium discharge model

Helicon discharges have attracted great attention in the electric propulsion community in recent years. To acquire the equilibrium properties, a self-consistent model is developed, which combines the helicon/Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） waves- plasma interaction mechanism and the plasma flow theory under the confinement of the magnetic field. The calculations reproduce the central peak density phenomenon observed in the experiments. The results show that when operating in the wave coupling mode, high magnetic field strength B0 results in the deviation of the central density versus B0 from the linear relationship, while the density rise becomes flatter as the radiofrequency （rf） input power Prf grows, and the electron temperature Te radial profile is mainly determined by the characteristic of the rf energy deposition. The model could provide suggestions in choosing the B0 and Prf for medium power helicon thrusters.

Preliminary Study of a Hybrid Helicon-ECR Plasma Source

A new type of hybrid discharge is experimentally investigated in this work. A helicon source and an electron cyclotron resonance（ECR） source were combined to produce plasma. As a preliminary study of this type of plasma, the optical emission spectroscopy（OES） method was used to obtain values of electron temperature and density under a series of typical conditions. Generally,it was observed that the electron temperature decreases and the electron density increases as the pressure increased. When increasing the applied power at a certain pressure, the average electron density at certain positions in the discharge does not increase significantly possibly due to the high degree of neutral depletion. Electron temperature increased with power in the hybrid mode.Possible mechanisms of these preliminary observations are discussed.

Modulation of absorption manner in helicon discharges by changing profile of low axial magnetic field

The modulation of absorption manner in helicon discharge by changing the profile of low axial magnetic field is explored experimentally in this work. The experiments are carried out in Boswell-type antenna driven by 13.56-MHz power source in 0.35-Pa argon environment. The peak of the external non-uniform magnetic field （Bex） along the axis is observed in a range from 0 Gs to 250 Gs （1 Gs=10^-4 T）, where the electron density varies from 0.5×10^16 m^-3 to 9×10^16 m^-3. When Bex is located near the tube upper end sealed by a dielectric plate, or near the tube bottom end connected with a diffusion chamber, the plasmas are centralized in the tube in the former case while the strong luminance appears between the edge of the tube and the axial line in the latter case. When Bex is located in the middle of the antenna, moreover, an effective resistance （Reff） peak appears apparently with increasing magnetic field. The glow moves toward first the edge of the tube and then the two antenna legs as the magnetic field increases. The discharge in this case is caused by the absorption of Trivelpiece-Gould （TG） wave. It is suggested that Bex is located in the middle of the antenna to obtain a higher efficiency of power transfer.