The Effect of Ion Current Density on Target Etching in Radio Frequency-Magnetron Sputtering Process

The effect of ion current density of argon plasma on target sputtering in magnetron sputtering process was investigated. Using home-made ion probe with computer-based data acquisition system, the ion current density as functions of discharge power, gas pressure and positions was measured. A double-hump shape was found in ion current density curve after the analysis of the effects of power and pressure. The data demonstrate that ion current density increases with the increase in gas pressure in spite of slightly at the double-hump site, sharply at wave-trough and side positions. Simultaneously, the ion current density increases upon increase in power. Es- pecially, the ion current density steeply increases at the double-hump site. The highest energy of the secondary electrons arising from Larmor precession was found at the double-hump position, which results in high ion density. The target was etched seriously at the double-hump position due to the high ion density there. The data indicates that the increase in power can lead to a high sputtering speed rate.

Rectification of Ion Current Determined by the Nanopore Geometry:Experiments and Modelling

We provide a way to precisely control the geometry of a SiNx nanopore by adjusting the applied electric pulse. The pore is generated by applying the current pulse across a SiNx membrane, which is immersed in potassium chloride solution. We can generate single conical and cylindrical pores with different electric pulses. A theoretical model based on the Poisson and Nernst-Planck equations is employed to simulate the ion transport properties in the channel. In turn, we can analyze pore geometries by fitting the experimental current-voltage （I-V） curves. for the conical pores with a pore size of 0.5-2nm in diameter, the slope angles are around -2.5% to -10%. Moreover, the pore orifice can be enlarged slightly by additional repeating pulses. The conic pore lumen becomes close to a cylindrical channel, resulting in a symmetry I-V transport under positive and negative biases. A qualitative understanding of these effects will help us to prepare useful solid-nanopores as demanded.

Saturation Ion Current Densities in Inductively Coupled Hydrogen Plasma Produced by Large-Power Radio Frequency Generator

An experimental investigation of the saturation ion current densities （Jions） in hydrogen inductively coupled plasma （ICP） produced by a large-power （2-32 kW） radio frequency （RF） generator is reported, then some reasonable explanations are given out. With the increase of RF power, the experimental results show three stages： in the first stage （2-14 kW）, the electron temperature will rise with the increase of RF power in the ICP, thus, the Jions increases continually as the electron temperature rises in the ICP. In the second stage （14 20 kW）, as some H- ions lead to the mutual neutralization （MN）, the slope of Jio^s variation firstly decreases then increases. In the third stage （20-32 kW）, both the electronic detachment （ED） and the associative detachment （AD） in the ICP result in the destruction of H- ions, therefore, the increased amplitude of the Jions in the third stage is weaker than the one in the first stage. In addition, with the equivalent transformer model, we successfully Explain that the Jions at different radial locations in ICP has the same rule. Finally, it is found that the Jions has nothing to do with the outer/inner puffing gas pressure ratio, which is attributed to the high-speed movement of hydrogen molecules.

Energetic Ion Effects on the Ion Saturation Current

The ion saturation current is very important in probe theory, which can be used to measure the electron temperature and the floating potential. In this work, the effects of energetic ions on the ion saturation current are studied via particle-in-cell simulations. It is found that the energetic ions and background ions can be treated separately as different species, and they satisfy their individual Bohm criterion at the sheath edge. It is shown that the energetic ions can significantly affect the ion saturation current if their concentration is greater than root T-e/(gamma T-i2(i2)), where T-e is the electron temperature, and gamma(i2) and T-i2 represent the polytropic coefficient and temperature of energetic ions, respectively. As a result, the floating potential and the I-V characteristic profile are strongly influenced by the energetic ions. When the energetic ion current dominates the ion saturation current, an analysis of the ion saturation current will yield the energetic ion temperature rather than the electron temperature.

Impact of Ion Current on Total Electric Field Measurement Under HVDC Transmission Line

The total electric field(TEF) at ground level induced by high-voltage direct current(HVDC) overhead transmission lines is one of the important indexes for evaluating the lines' electromagnetic environment.Based on analyzing the existing TEF sensors and the measurement principle of ion-current density,the influence from ions on TEF measurements is quantitively studied.The results show that the ions generated by the corona from a HVDC transmission line in operation cause errors in the measurement of TEF.This error is determined through analyzing the component of total measuring current on the filed mill's sensing electrode: if no appropriate approach taken,the maximum measurement error reaches up to 4.3%.Furthermore,a method that can eliminate such error,and hence improve the accuracy of TEF sensors is designed.

Influence of extraction voltage on electron and ion behavior characteristics

The characteristics of the extracted ion current have a significant impact on the design and testing of ion source performance.In this paper,a 2D in space and 3D in velocity space particle in cell(2D3V PIC)method is utilized to simulate plasma motion and ion extraction characteristics under various initial plasma velocity distributions and extraction voltages in a Cartesian coordinate system.The plasma density is of the order of 10^(15)m^(-3)-10^(16)m^(-3)and the extraction voltage is of the order of 100 V-1000 V.The study investigates the impact of various extraction voltages on the velocity and density distributions of electrons and positive ions,and analyzes the influence of different initial plasma velocity distributions on the extraction current.The simulation results reveal that the main reason for the variation of extraction current is the spacecharge force formed by the relative aggregation of positive and negative net charges.This lays the foundation for a deeper understanding of extraction beam characteristics.

Two outward potassium current types are expressed during the neural differentiation of neural stem cells

The electrophysiological properties of potassium ion channels are regarded as a basic index for determining the functional differentiation of neural stem cells. In this study, neural stem cells from the hippocampus of newborn rats were induced to differentiate with neurotrophic growth factor, and the electrophysiological properties of the voltage-gated potassium ion channels were observed. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the rapidly proliferating neural stem cells formed spheres in vitro that expressed high levels of nestin. The differentiated neurons were shown to express neuron-specific enolase. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the neural stem cells were actively dividing and the percentage of cells in the S ＋ G2/M phase was high. However, the ratio of cells in the S ＋ G2/M phase decreased obviously as differentiation proceeded. Whole-cell patch-clamp re- cordings revealed apparent changes in potassium ion currents as the neurons differentiated. The potassium ion currents consisted of one transient outward potassium ion current and one delayed rectifier potassium ion current, which were blocked by 4-aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium, respectively. The experimental findings indicate that neural stem cells from newborn rat hippo- campus could be cultured and induced to differentiate into functional neurons under defined condi- tions in vitro. The differentiated neurons expressed two types of outward potassium ion cur＇ents similar to those of mature neurons in vivo.

The Arc Regulation Characteristics of the High-Current Ion Source for the EAST Neutral Beam Injector

The arc regulation method is applied to the high-current ion source for high-power hydrogen ion beam extraction for the first time. The characteristics of the arc and beam, including the probe ion saturation current, the arc power and the beam current, are studied with feedback control. The results show that the arc regulation method can be successfully applied to ion beam extraction. This lays a sound foundation for the testing of a new ion source and the operation of a conditioned ion source for neutral beam injector devices.

Modulating ion current rectification generating high energy output in a single glass conical nanopore channel by concentration gradient

Inspired by biological systems that have the inherent skill to generate considerable bioelectricity from the salt content in fluids with highly selective ion channels and pumps on cell membranes, herein, a fully abiotic, single glass conical nanopores energy-harvesting is demonstrated. Ion current rectification （ICR） in negatively charged glass conical nanopores is shown to be controlled by the electrolyte concentration gradient depending on the direction of ion diffusion. The degree of ICR is enhanced with the increasing forward concentration difference. An unusual rectification inversion is observed when the concentration gradient is reversely applied. The maximum power output with the individual nanopore approaches 10^4pW. This facile and cost-efficient energy-harvesting system has the potential to power tiny biomedical devices or construct future clean-energy recovery plants.

Ion Current Features of HCCI Combustion in a GDI Engine

Homogeneous charge compression ignition(HCCI)gasoline engines have the merit of good fuel economy and very low NOx emissions.The ion current signal in a gasoline direct injection-HCCI engine is the main focus of this paper.Experiments showed that the ion signal is significant correlated with the combustion status.Fuel spray and air-fuel mixture motions significant decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of the ion current signal.However,the current waveforms still vary regularly as the boundary conditions change,and their phases have significant linear relationships with the combustion phases.By combining the analysis with cylinder pressure data,the current can be used to effectively detect the combustion phase when the air fuel mixture is not lean.When the mixture gets leaner,the signal amplitude diminishes dramatically,and the linear correlation decreases substantially.The ratio of two-stage fuel injection has a strong effect on signal amplitude and combustion stability,and the linear relationship between the signal and combustion characteristics becomes insignificant as the pre-injection fuel amount decreases.A reaction kinetics analysis of the mechanism for the ion current signal in the HCCI engine explains the experimental observations.

Research on corona discharge suppression of high-voltage direct-current transmission lines based on dielectric-film-covered conductor

Corona discharge suppression for high-voltage direct-current(HVDC)transmission lines at line terminals such as converter stations is a subject that requires attention.In this paper,a method based on a conductor covered with dielectric film is proposed and implemented through a bench-scale setup.Compared with the bare conductor,the corona discharge suppression effect of the dielectric-film-covered conductor under positive polarity is studied from the composite field strength and ion current density using a line-plate experimental device.The influences of film thickness and film material on the corona discharge suppression effect are investigated.The charge accumulation and dissipation characteristics of different film materials are also studied.The results show that the conductor covered with dielectric film has excellent ability to inhibit corona discharge.The ground-level composite field strength of the conductor covered with dielectric film is lower than its nominal field strength,and its ion current density is at the nA m^(−2) level.The corona threshold voltage can be promoted by increasing the film thickness,but the ability to inhibit corona discharge becomes weak.The larger the surface electric field strength,the more charge accumulated,but the faster the charge dissipation rate.Compared with polyvinyl chloride film,cross-linked polyethylene film has stronger charge accumulation ability and slower charge dissipation rate,which can better restrain the corona discharge of HVDC transmission lines.

Investigation of cyclohexane catalytic degradation driven by N atoms from N_(2)discharges

The effect of N_(2)discharge products on cyclohexane degradation over a MnO_(2)/γ-Al_(2)O_(3)catalyst has been evaluated by feeding N_(2)discharge products to the catalyst using a specially designed dielectric barrier discharge reactor.At a reaction temperature of 100℃,the cyclohexane conversion increased from 2.46%(without N_(2)discharge products)to 26.3%(with N_(2)discharge products).N-and O-containing by-product(3,4-dehydroproline)was found on the catalyst surface using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry identification,in which C=N–C and C=N–H bonds were also confirmed from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis results.Operando analysis results using diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy revealed that N atoms can react with surface H_(2)O possibly to NH and OH reactive species that have reactivities to promote CO oxidation to CO_(2).The mechanism of N-atom-driven cyclohexane degradation to CO and CO_(2)is proposed.

Methods for the Determination of Stable Isotopes of Carbon and Nitrogen Directly in Valine, Proline, Glutamine, and Glutamic Acid

Amino acids are very important compounds for the body and are involved in important functions that keep us healthy. Amino acids are essential components such as valine, proline, glutamine and glutamic acid. They can be synthesized either naturally or artificially. To examine the metabolism and regulate the synthesis process, compounds labeled with nitrogen or carbon isotopes need to be used. These isotopic compounds allow for more extensive research and enable studies that would otherwise be impossible. However, their use is dependent on the availability of simple, efficient methods for isotopic analysis. Currently, the determination of the atomic fraction of carbon and nitrogen isotopes is only possible through their conversion into molecular nitrogen or carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. This leads to the loss of information about isotopic enrichment in specific centers of the molecule. This article explores a new direct approach to determining the atomic fraction of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the isotope-modified or identical centers of these compounds. This method eliminates the transfer process and dilution due to nitrogen and carbon impurities. It is now possible to simultaneously determine the atomic fraction of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in the research substance. This method can be applied to amino acids, making it an effective tool for proposing new research methods. Several articles [1] [2] [3] have proposed similar methods for organic compounds and amino acids.

The Development of a Megawatt-Level High Current Ion Source

Neutral beam injection is one of the main plasma heating methods in nuclear fusion devices. In order to support the scientific study of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak （EAST）, a megawatt-level high current ion source is designed and manufactured in the ASIPP, and the progress and preliminary test results will be presented in this paper.

Heavy Ion and Laser Microbeam Induced Current Transients in SiGe Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor

Silicon-germanium （SiGe） hereto-junction bipolar transistor current transients induced by pulse laser and heavy iron are measured using a real-time digital oscilloscope. These transients induced by pulse laser and heavy iron exhibit the same waveform and charge collection time except for the amplitude of peak current. Different laser energies and voltage biases under heavy ion irradiation also have impact on current transient, whereas the waveform remains unchanged. The position-correlated current transients suggest that the nature of the current transient is controlled by the behavior of the C/S junction.

Experimental Study of Current Loss of Stainless Steel Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line with Current Density at MA/cm Level

A magnetically insulated transmission line （MITL） is used to transmit high power electric pulses in large pulse power systems. However, current loss is unavoidable, especially when the current density is up to 1 MA/cm. In the paper, the current loss of an MITL made of stainless steel, which is usually used in large pulse power generators, is experimentally studied, and possible mechanisms to explain the current loss of the MITL are analyzed and discussed. From the experimental results, the relationship between loss current density and input current density follows approximately a power law. The loss is also related to the configuration of the MITL.

Ion current rectification: from nanoscale to microscale

Ion current rectification(ICR)is an electrodynamic phenomenon in electrolyte solution which is defined as the asymmetric potential-dependent ion flux through a confined environment,giving rise to asymmetric electrical current-voltage characteristics induced by the influence of an asymmetric electrical double layer structure.Since the discovery of the ICR phenomenon,the observation and application of ICR at nanoscale and microscale have been widely investigated experimentally and theoretically.Here,the recent progress of ICR from nanoscale to microscale is systematically reviewed.Nano/micropore structures of different materials,shapes and pore sizes are first discussed.Then,the factors influencing ICRs by thermodynamically or kinetically regulating the electrical double layer structure are introduced.Moreover,theoretical models are presented to explain the mechanism of ICRs.Based on the understanding of this phenomenon,the applications,especially in biosensors,are discussed.Finally,future developments of this area are briefly presented.This review covers the representative related literature published since 2010 and is intended to give a systematic introduction to this area.

Current loss of magnetically insulated coaxial diode with cathode negative ion

Current loss without an obvious impedance collapse in the magnetically insulated coaxial diode （MICD） is studied through experiment and particle-in-cell （PIC） simulation when the guiding magnetic field is strong enough. Cathode nega- tive ions are clarified to be the predominant reason for it. Theoretical analysis and simulation both indicate that the velocity of the negative ion reaches up to 1 cm/ns due to the space potential between the anode and cathode gap （A-C gap）. Accord- ingly, instead of the reverse current loss and the parasitic current loss, the negative ion loss appears during the whole pulse. The negative ion current loss is determined by its ionization production rate. It increases with diode voltage increasing. The smaller space charge effect caused by the beam thickening and the weaker radial restriction both promote the negative ion production under a lower magnetic field. Therefore, as the magnetic field increases, the current loss gradually decreases until the beam thickening nearly stops.

EFFECT OF COXSACKIEVIRUS B3 ON ION CHANNEL CURRENTS IN RAT VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES

To investigate the effects of coxsackievirus B 3(CVB 3) on ion channel currents in rat ventricular myocytes. Methods.Rat hearts were isolated with collagenase to acquire single ventricular myocytes, L type voltage dependent calcium channel(VDCC)current (I Ca ),Na + current (I Na ), outward potassium current (I out ), inwardly rectifying potassium current(I KI ) were recorded using whole cell patch clamp techniques. ResultsCVB 3 infection increased I Ca and I out , while decreased I KI ; but it had no obvious effect on I Na . Conclusion.The effects of CVB 3 on I Ca 、 I out 、 I KI may be one of the mechanisms of myocytes damage and the occurrence of abnormal electroactivities induced by CVB 3 infection.

Development of data acquisition and over-current protection systems for a suppressor-grid current with a neutral-beam ion source

Neutral beam injection is one of the effective auxiliary heating methods in magnetic-confinementfusion experiments. In order to acquire the suppressor-grid current signal and avoid the grid being damaged by overheating, a data acquisition and over-current protection system based on the PXI（PCI e Xtensions for Instrumentation） platform has been developed. The system consists of a current sensor, data acquisition module and over-current protection module. In the data acquisition module,the acquired data of one shot will be transferred in isolation and saved in a data-storage server in a txt file. It can also be recalled using NBWave for future analysis. The over-current protection module contains two modes： remote and local. This gives it the function of setting a threshold voltage remotely and locally, and the forbidden time of over-current protection also can be set by a host PC in remote mode. Experimental results demonstrate that the data acquisition and overcurrent protection system has the advantages of setting forbidden time and isolation transmission.