High performance micromachining of sapphire by laser induced plasma assisted ablation(LIPAA)using GHz burst mode femtosecond pulses

GHz burst-mode femtosecond(fs)laser,which emits a series of pulse trains with extremely short intervals of several hundred picoseconds,provides distinct characteristics in materials processing as compared with the conventional irradiation scheme of fs laser(single-pulse mode).In this paper,we take advantage of the moderate pulse interval of 205 ps(4.88 GHz)in the burst pulse for high-quality and high-efficiency micromachining of single crystalline sapphire by laser induced plasma assisted ablation(LIPAA).Specifically,the preceding pulses in the burst generate plasma by ablation of copper placed behind the sapphire substrate,which interacts with the subsequent pulses to induce ablation at the rear surface of sapphire substrates.As a result,not only the ablation quality but also the ablation efficiency and the fabrication resolution are greatly improved compared to the other schemes including single-pulse mode fs laser direct ablation,single-pulse mode fs-LIPAA,and nanosecond-LIPAA.

Laser-induced plasma electron number density:Stark broadening method versus the Saha-Boltzmann equation

We report spectroscopic studies on plasma electron number density of laser-induced plasma produced by ns-Nd：YAG laser light pulses on an aluminum sample in air at atmospheric pressure. The effect of different laser energy and the effect of different laser wavelengths were compared. The experimentally observed line profiles of neutral aluminum have been used to extract the excitation temperature using the Boltzmann plot method, whereas the electron number density has been determined from the Stark broadened as well as using the Saha-Boltzmann equation （SBE）. Each approach was also carried out by using the AI emission line and Mg emission lines. It was observed that the,SBE method generated a little higher electron number density value than the Stark broadening, method, but within the experimental uncertainty range. Comparisons of Ne determined by the two methods show the presence of a linear relation which is independent of laser energy or laser wavelength. These results show the applicability of the SBE method for Are determination, especially when the system does not have any pure emission lines whose electron impact factor is known, Also use of Mg lines gives superior results than Al lines.

Spectral Characterization of Laser Induced Plasma from Titanium Dioxide

Optical emission from TiO2 plasma, generated by a nanosecond laser is spectroscopically analysed. The main chemical species are identified and the spatio-temporal distribution of the plasma parameters such as electron temperature and density are characterized based on the study of spectral distribution of the line intensities and their broadening characteristics. The parameters of laser induced plasma vary quickly owing to its expansion at low background pressure and the possible deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions are tested to show its validity.

A Study on Determination of Some Trace Nonmetals by Microwave Induced Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

In general, atomic emission spectrometry (AES) is an excellent technique for determination of metal elements. However, its capability of determining nonmetals has not been developed well. The major reasons are the resonance lines of most nonmetals lie in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region and the ionic lines of these elements are difficult to be used because the ionization potentials of the elements are very high. And furthermore only He plasma can efficiently excit those ionic resonance lines. The practical application of HeICP-AES to determining the nonmetals is also difficult because its operating and perchace costs are very high. In contrast to HeICPAES, the costs of He microwave induced plasma (MIP)-AES are relatively low, HeMIP has a high excitation capability which can excite ionic lines of various nonmetals and the nonmetals can be determined by HeMIP-AES with a high sensitivity.

Numerical study on the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced plasma

Based on the fluid theory of plasma, a model is built to study the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced argon plasma. In the model, species such as electrons, N2＋, N4＋, Ar＋, and two metastable states （N2 （A3 ∑ u＋）, N2 （a1 ∑ u）） are taken into account. The model includes the particle continuity equation, the electron energy balance equation, and Poisson抯iequation. The model ’s solved with a finite difference method. The numerical results are obtained and used to investigate the effect of time taken to add nitrogen gas and initially-induced argon plasma pressure. It is found that lower speeds of adding the nitrogen gas and varying the gas pressure can induce higher plasma density, and inversely lower electron temperature. At high-pressure discharge, the electron density increases when the proportion of nitrogen component is below 4070, while the electron density will keep constant as the nitrogen component further increases. It is also shown that with the increase of initially-induced argon plasma pressure, the density of charged particles increases~ and the electron temperature as well as the electric field decreases.

A Study on the Determination of Copper by Microwave Induced Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (MIP-AES)

The determination of copper by MIP-AES was investigated in detail. Aqueous samples were introduced from an ultrasonic nebulizer and the solvent was removed by a desolvation device before introduction of the aerosol into the MIP. The desolvation system consisted of a condenser associated with a concentrated H2SO4 absorption cell. Various experimental conditions and interferences from easily ionised elements (EIEs) were also studied and some practical samples were analyzed.

STUDIES ON THE SYNTHESIS OF Ti_3O_5 BY MICROWAVE INDUCED PLASMA METHOD

Using a low power microwave generator and a surfatron discharge cavity, Ti3O5 was synthesized via the hydrogenation of TiO2 in surface wave induced microwave plasma. Besides, the chemical behavior of hydrogen in the plasma and its influence on the formation of Ti3O5 were preliminarily studied.

Observation of Temperature Induced Plasma Frequency Shift in an Extremely Large Magnetoresistance Compound LaSb

We report an optical spectroscopy study on LaSb, a compound recently identified to exhibit extremely large magnetoresistance. Our optieal measurement indicates that the material has a low carrier density. More inter- estingly, the study reveals that the plasma frequency increases with decreasing temperature. This phenomenon suggests either an increase of the conducting carrier density or/and a decrease of the effective mass of carriers with decreasing temperature. We attribute it primarily to the latter effect. Two possible scenarios on its physical origin are examined and discussed. The study offers new insight into the electronic structure of this compound.

Numerical study on the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced plasma

Based on the fluid theory of plasma, a model is built to study the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced argon plasma. In the model, species such as electrons, N2+, N4+, Ar+, and two metastable states (N 2(A3∑u+), N2 (a1 ∑u-)) are taken into account. The model includes the particle continuity equation, the electron energy balance equation, and Poisson抯equation. The model is solved with a finite difference method. The numerical results are obtained and used to investigate the effect of time taken to add nitrogen gas and initially-induced argon plasma pressure. It is found that lower speeds of adding the nitrogen gas and varying the gas pressure can induce higher plasma density, and inversely lower electron temperature. At high-pressure discharge, the electron density increases when the proportion of nitrogen component is below 40%, while the electron density will keep constant as the nitrogen component further increases. It is also shown that with the increase of initially-induced argon plasma pressure, the density of charged particles increases, and the electron temperature as well as the electric field decreases.

Characterisation of a microwave induced plasma torch for glass surface modification

Microwave induced plasma torches find wide applications in material and chemical analysis.Investigation of a coaxial electrode microwave induced plasma(CE–MIP)torch is conducted in this study,making it available for glass surface modification and polishing.A dedicated nozzle is designed to inject secondary gases into the main plasma jet.This study details the adaptation of a characterisation process for CE–MIP technology.Microwave spectrum analysis is used to create a polar plot of the microwave energy being emitted from the coaxial electrode,where the microwave energy couples with the gas to generate the plasma jet.Optical emission spectroscopy analysis is also employed to create spatial maps of the photonic intensity distribution within the plasma jet when different additional gases are injected into it.The CE–MIP torch is experimentally tested for surface energy modification on glass where it creates a super-hydrophilic surface.

Spectral Characteristics of Laser-Induced Graphite Plasma in Ambient Air

An experimental setup of laser-induced graphite plasma was built and the spectral characteristics and properties of graphite plasma were studied. From the temporal behavior of graphite plasma, the duration of CN partials （B2 ∑＋ →-X2 ∑＋） emission was two times longer than that of atomic carbon, and all intensities reached the maximum during the early stage from 0.2 μs to 0.8 μs. The electron temperature decreased from 11807 K to 8755 K, the vibration temperature decreased from 8973 K to 6472 K, and the rotational temperature decreased from 7288 K to 4491 K with the delay time, respectively. The effect of the laser energy was also studied, and it was found that the thresholds and spectral characteristics of CN molecular and C atomic spectroscopy presented great differences. At lower laser energies, the electron excited temperature, the electron density, the vibrational temperature and rotational temperature of CN partials increased rapidly. At higher laser energies, the increasing of electron excited temperature and electron density slow down, and the vibrational temperature and rotational temperature even trend to saturation due to plasma shielding and dissociation of CN molecules. The relationship among the three kinds of temperatures was Telec〉Tvib〉Trot at the same time. The electron density of the graphite plasma was in the order of 1017 cm-3 and 1018 cm-3.

Time-resolved evaluation of uranium plasma in different atmospheres by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

This work reports spectroscopic studies of uranium containing plasma generated in air and argon environments. The 532 nm Q-switched Nd：YAG laser generates the optical breakdown plasma, which was recorded by a spectrometer and an intensified charge coupled device having a resolution of 25 pm. Neutral and ionized uranium lines in the wavelength range of 385.8-391.9 nm indicate significant width and shift variations during the first few microseconds. Electron temperature and density of the plasma are determined using the Boltzmann plot and the Saha-Boltzmann equation at various time delay. The study reveals the power law decay pattern of electron temperature and density, which changes to exponential decay pattern if large gate- width is used to acquire the signal, due to an averaging effect.

A Review on Chemical Effects in Aqueous Solution induced by Plasma with Glow Discharge

Chemical effects in different aqueous solutions induced by plasma with glow discharge electrolysis (GDE) and contact glow discharge electrolysis (CGDE) are described in this paper. The experimental and discharge characteristics are also reviewed. These are followed by a discussion of their mechanisms of both anodic and cathodic CGDE..

Poloidal rotation induced by injecting lower hybrid waves in tokamak plasma edge

The poloidal rotation of the magnetized edge plasma in tokamak driven by the ponderomotive force which is generated by injecting lower hybrid wave(LHW) electric field has been studied. The LHW is launched from a waveguide in the plasma edge, and by Brambilla's grill theory, analytic expressions for the wave electric field in the slab model of an inhomogeneous cold plasma have been derived. It is shown that a strong wave electric field will be generated in the plasma edge by injecting LH wave of the power in MW magnitude, and this electric field will induce a poloidal rotation with a sheared poloidal velocity.

Plasma induced Fe-NX active sites to improve the oxygen reduction reaction performance

Rational design of high-efficient and low-cost catalysts as alternatives to Pt-based catalysts toward the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)is extremely desirable but challenging.In this work,Fe@NCNT is firstly synthesized via the one-pot pyrolysis method,then Fe-NX active species are in-situ created on the prepared Fe@NCNT by a feasible“plasma inducing”strategy to synthesize the resulting catalyst(Fe@NCNT-P)for ORR.The morphology of Fe@NCNT-P is perfectly inherited by the derived carbon precursor,resulting in the core-shell structure of carboncoated Fe and a mesoporous dominant nanostructure with a high specific surface area of 536 m^(2)g^(-1).The resultant Fe@NCNT-P catalyst exhibits remarkable ORR activity and durability,as well as outstanding performance in assembled zinc-air battery(ZAB)test with a peak power density of 240 mW cm^(-2).This work not only reports a novel and robust ORR catalyst,but also proposes a simple and effective strategy to improve the ORR electrocatalytic performance.

Fibre-Coupling Zig-Zag Beam Deflection Technology for Investigation of Attenuation Process of Laser-Induced Shock Waves

A novel fibre-coupling zig-zag beam deflection technology is developed to investigate the attenuation process of laser-induced shock waves in air. Utilizing ordinal reflections of probe beams by a pair of parallel mirrors, a zig-zag beam field is formed, which has eleven probe beams in the horizontal plane. When a laser-induced shock wave propagates through the testing field, it causes eleven deflection signals one after another. The whole attenuation process of the shock wave in air can be detected and illuminated clearly on one experimental curve.

Observation of Atomic Emission Enhancement by fs-ns Dual-Pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

An experiment of a 500-fs KrF laser pulse incident upon a high density supersonic O2 gas jet synchronously with an ns frequency-doubled Nd：YAG laser pulse is performed in orthogonal configuration. Significant atomic emission enhancement of over forty-fold is observed with an optical multi-channel analyser. The enhancement effect is probably attributed to the different ionization mechanisms between fs and ns laser pulses.

PROBING PLASMA SPECIES IN A TM_(010) CAVITY

ith the aid of a fibre optical device, the profile of plasma parameters, such as plasma length and noise power spectrum, in a normally enclosed TM 010 cavity was probed. Experimental results show that the physical length of a plasma is linearly related to the microwave power applied and that the profile of noise power spectra varies significantly along the length of a plasma.

Low Temperature Plasma CVD Grown Graphene by Microwave Surface-Wave Plasma CVD Using Camphor Precursor

Hydrocarbon precursor such as methane has been widely used to grow graphene films and the methods of growing quality graphene films are dominated by thermal CVD （chemical vapor deposition） system. Graphene films grown by plasma process are generally highly defective which in turns degrade the quality of the films. Here, using a green precursor, camphor we demonstrate a simple and economical method to get high-quality graphene film on copper substrate by micro wave surface-wave plasma CVD at relatively low temperature 550℃. Graphene film grown using camphor shows superior quality than that of the film grown using methane. Results revealed that camphor precursor is a good alternative to hydrocarbon precursors for graphene research.

Application of In-Flight Melting Technology by RF Induction Thermal Plasmas to Glass Production

An innovative in-flight glass melting technology with induced thermal plasmas was developed for the purpose of energy conservation and environmental protection. Two-dimensional modeling was used to simulate the thermofluid fields in the plasma torch. The in-flight melting behavior of glass raw material was investigated by various analysis methods. Results showed that the plasma temperature was up to 10000 K with a maximum velocity over 30 m/s, which made it possible to melt the granulated glass raw material within milliseconds. The carbonates in the raw material decomposed completely and the compounds in the raw material attainted 100% vitrification during the in-flight time from the nozzle exit to substrate. The particle melting process is similar to the unreacted-core shrinking model.