Abnormal transition of the electron energy distribution with excitation of the second harmonic in low-pressure radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas

The self-excited second harmonic in radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasma was significantly enhanced by adjusting the external variable capacitor.At a lower pressure of 3 Pa,the excitation of the second harmonic caused an abnormal transition of the electron energy probability function,resulting in abrupt changes in the electron density and temperature.Such changes in the electron energy probability function as well as the electron density and temperature were not observed at the higher pressure of 16 Pa under similar harmonic changes.The phenomena are related to the influence of the second harmonic on stochastic heating,which is determined by both amplitude and the relative phase of the harmonics.The results suggest that the self-excited high-order harmonics must be considered in practical applications of lowpressure radio-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas.

Investigating and predicting the role of photovoltaic, wind, and hydrogen energies in sustainable global energy evolution

The global shift toward next-generation energy systems is propelled by the urgent need to combat climate change and the dwindling supply of fossil fuels.This review explores the intricate challenges and opportunities for transitioning to sustainable renewable energy sources such as solar,wind,and hydrogen.This transition economically challenges traditional energy sectors while fostering new industries,promoting job growth,and sustainable economic development.The transition to renewable energy demands social equity,ensuring universal access to affordable energy,and considering community impact.The environmental benefits include a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a lesser ecological footprint.This study highlights the rapid growth of the global wind power market,which is projected to increase from$112.23 billion in 2022 to$278.43 billion by 2030,with a compound annual growth rate of 13.67%.In addition,the demand for hydrogen is expected to increase,significantly impacting the market with potential cost reductions and making it a critical renewable energy source owing to its affordability and zero emissions.By 2028,renewables are predicted to account for 42%of global electricity generation,with significant contributions from wind and solar photovoltaic(PV)technology,particularly in China,the European Union,the United States,and India.These developments signify a global commitment to diversifying energy sources,reducing emissions,and moving toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.This review offers stakeholders the insights required to smoothly transition to sustainable energy,setting the stage for a resilient future.

Effects of power on ion behaviors in radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of indium tin oxide(ITO)

This study delves into ion behavior at the substrate position within RF magnetron discharges utilizing an indium tin oxide(ITO)target.The positive ion energies exhibit an upward trajectory with increasing RF power,attributed to heightened plasma potential and initial emergent energy.Simultaneously,the positive ion flux escalates owing to amplified sputtering rates and electron density.Conversely,negative ions exhibit broad ion energy distribution functions(IEDFs)characterized by multiple peaks.These patterns are clarified by a combination of radiofrequency oscillation of cathode voltage and plasma potential,alongside ion transport time.This elucidation finds validation in a one-dimensional model encompassing the initial ion energy.At higher RF power,negative ions surpassing 100 e V escalate in both flux and energy,posing a potential risk of sputtering damages to ITO layers.

Heavy ion energy influence on multiple-cell upsets in small sensitive volumes:from standard to high energies

The 28 nm process has a high cost-performance ratio and has gradually become the standard for the field of radiation-hardened devices.However,owing to the minimum physical gate length of only 35 nm,the physical area of a standard 6T SRAM unit is approximately 0.16μm^(2),resulting in a significant enhancement of multi-cell charge-sharing effects.Multiple-cell upsets(MCUs)have become the primary physical mechanism behind single-event upsets(SEUs)in advanced nanometer node devices.The range of ionization track effects increases with higher ion energies,and spacecraft in orbit primarily experience SEUs caused by high-energy ions.However,ground accelerator experiments have mainly obtained low-energy ion irradiation data.Therefore,the impact of ion energy on the SEU cross section,charge collection mechanisms,and MCU patterns and quantities in advanced nanometer devices remains unclear.In this study,based on the experimental platform of the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou,low-and high-energy heavy-ion beams were used to study the SEUs of 28 nm SRAM devices.The influence of ion energy on the charge collection processes of small-sensitive-volume devices,MCU patterns,and upset cross sections was obtained,and the applicable range of the inverse cosine law was clarified.The findings of this study are an important guide for the accurate evaluation of SEUs in advanced nanometer devices and for the development of radiation-hardening techniques.

Energy Distribution of Ions Incident on Radio-Frequency Biased Electrodes in External Magnetic Field

A radio-frequency （rf） plasma sheath model in an oblique magnetic field is established and the energy distribution of ions （IED） incident on the rf sheath biased electrodes is numerically investigated. The simulation results reveal that the external magnetic field can have a decisive impact on the ion flux and energy distribution of the sheath. The ion energy can be transferred between the perpendicular and parallel components under the action of a magnetic field.

Crosstalk between degradation and bioenergetics: how autophagy and endolysosomal processes regulate energy production

Cells undergo metabolic reprogramming to adapt to changes in nutrient availability, cellular activity, and transitions in cell states. The balance between glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration is crucial for energy production, and metabolic reprogramming stipulates a shift in such balance to optimize both bioenergetic efficiency and anabolic requirements. Failure in switching bioenergetic dependence can lead to maladaptation and pathogenesis. While cellular degradation is known to recycle precursor molecules for anabolism, its potential role in regulating energy production remains less explored. The bioenergetic switch between glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration involves transcription factors and organelle homeostasis, which are both regulated by the cellular degradation pathways. A growing body of studies has demonstrated that both stem cells and differentiated cells exhibit bioenergetic switch upon perturbations of autophagic activity or endolysosomal processes. Here, we highlighted the current understanding of the interplay between degradation processes, specifically autophagy and endolysosomes, transcription factors, endolysosomal signaling, and mitochondrial homeostasis in shaping cellular bioenergetics. This review aims to summarize the relationship between degradation processes and bioenergetics, providing a foundation for future research to unveil deeper mechanistic insights into bioenergetic regulation.

Phase shift effects of radio-frequency bias on ion energy distribution in continuous wave and pulse modulated inductively coupled plasmas

A retarding field energy analyzer（RFEA） is used to measure the time-averaged ion energy distributions（IEDs） on the substrate in both continuous wave（CW） and synchronous pulse modulated radio-frequency（RF） inductively coupled Ar plasmas（ICPs）.The effects of the phase shift θ between the RF bias voltage and the RF source on the IED is investigated under various discharge conditions.It is found that as θ increases from 0 to π,the IED moves towards the low-energy side,and its energy width becomes narrower.In order to figure out the physical mechanism,the voltage waveforms on the substrate are also measured.The results show that as θ increases from 0 to π,the amplitude of the voltage waveform decreases and,meanwhile,the average sheath potential decreases as well.Specifically,the potential drop in the sheath on the substrate exhibits a maximum value at the same phase（i.e.,θ = 0） and a minimum value at the opposite phase（i.e.,θ = π）.Therefore,when ions traverse across the sheath region above the substrate,they obtain less energies at lower sheath potential drop,leading to lower ion energy.Besides,as θ increases from π to 2π,the IEDs and their energy widths change reversely.

Effect of gas pressure on ion energy at substrate side of Ag target radio-frequency and very-high-frequency magnetron sputtering discharge

The effect of gas pressure on ion energy distribution at the substrate side of Ag target radio-frequency(RF)and very-high-frequency(VHF)magnetron sputtering discharge was investigated.At lower pressure,the evolution of maximum ion energy(E)with discharge voltage(V)varied with the excitation frequency,due to the joint contribution of the ion generation in the bulk plasma and the ion movement across the sheath related to the ion transit sheath timeτiand RF periodτRF.At higher pressure,the evolution of E–V relationships did not vary with the excitation frequency,due to the balance between the energy lost through collisions and the energy gained by acceleration in the electric field.Therefore,for RF and VHF magnetron discharge,lower gas pressure can have a clear influence on the E–V relationship.

Studies on heteronuclear diatomic molecular dissociation energies using algebraic energy method

The algebraic energy method （AEM） is applied to the study of molecular dissociation energy De for 11 heteronuclear diatomic electronic states： a^3∑＋ state of NaK, X^2∑＋ state of XeBr, X^2∑＋ state of HgI, X^1∑＋ state of LiH, A3∏（1） state of IC1, X^1∑＋ state of CsH, A（3∏1） and B0＋（3∏） states of CIF, 21∏ state of KRb, X^1∑＋ state of CO, and c^3∑＋ state of NaK molecule. The results show that the values of De computed by using the AEM are satisfactorily accurate compared with experimental ones. The AEM can serve as an economic and useful tool to generate a reliable De within an allowed experimental error for the electronic states whose molecular dissociation energies are unavailable from the existing literature

Designing shielded radio-frequency phased-array coils for magnetic resonance imaging

In this paper, an approach to the design of shielded radio-frequency （RF） phased-array coils for magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） is proposed. The target field method is used to find current densities distributed on primary and shield coils. The stream function technique is used to discretize current densities and to obtain the winding patterns of the coils. The corresponding highly ill-conditioned integral equation is solved by the Tikhonov regularization with a penalty function related to the minimum curvature. To balance the simplicity and smoothness with the homogeneity of the magnetic field of the coll＇s winding pattern, the selection of a penalty factor is discussed in detail.

Numerical research of a 2D axial symmetry hybrid model for the radio-frequency ion thruster

Since the high efficiency discharge is critical to the radio-frequency ion thruster(RIT), a 2D axial symmetry hybrid model has been developed to study the plasma evolution of RIT. The fluid method and the drift energy correction of the electron energy distribution function(EEDF) are applied to the analysis of the RIT discharge. In the meantime, the PIC-MCC method is used to investigate the ion beam current extraction character for the plasma plume region. The beam current simulation results, with the hybrid model, agree well with the experimental results, and the error is lower than 11%, which shows the validity of the model. The further study shows there is an optimal ratio for the radio-frequency(RF) power and the beam current extraction power under the fixed RIT configuration. And the beam extraction efficiency will decrease when the discharge efficiency beyond a certain threshold(about 87 W). As the input parameters of the hybrid model are all the design values, it can be directly used to the optimum design for other kinds of RITs and radio-frequency ion sources.

Numerical study on characteristics of radio-frequency discharge at atmospheric pressure in argon with small admixtures of oxygen

In this paper, a 1D fluid model is developed to study the characteristics of a discharge in argon with small admixtures of oxygen at atmospheric pressure. This model consists of a series of equations, including continuity equations for electrons, positive ions, negative ions and neutral particles, the energy equation, and the Poisson equation for electric potential. Special attention has been paid to the electron energy dissipation and the mechanisms of electron heating, while the admixture of oxygen is in the range of 0.1%-0.6%. It is found that when the oxygen-to-argon ratio grows, the discharge is obviously divided into three stages： electron growth, electron reduction and the electron remaining unchanged. Furthermore, the cycle-averaged electric field, electron temperature, electron Ohmic heating, electron collisionless heating, electron energy dissipation and the net electron production are also studied in detail, and when the oxygen-to- argon ratio is relatively larger （R = 0.6%）, double value peaks of electron Ohmic heating appear in the sheath. According to the results of the numerical simulation, various oxygen-to-argon ratios result in different amounts of electron energy dissipation and electron heating.

Hemodynamic changes in hepatic cancer before and after cluster electrode radio-frequency ablation

Objective: To evaluate the hemodynamic changes of hepatic artery (HA), portal vein (PV) and tumors in hepatic cancer patients treated by cluster electrode radio-frequency ablation with the aid of color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI). Methods: The hemodynamic changes of HA, PV and 42 tumors in 30 cases of hepatic cancer were investi- gated by CDFI one week before and after cluster e- lectrode radio-frequency ablation. Results: One week after radio-frequency ablation, the velocity of HA decreased (P<0.05), but the dia- meter and velocity of PV unchanged. Before radio- frequency ablation, blood signals were observed in 35 cancer nodes (83.0 % of all 42 nodes). After radio- frequency ablation, blood signals were reduced in 15 nodes and disappeared in 14 nodes. Early investiga- tion implied that the decrease of blood supply was parallel with the reduction of node size. However, the outcome in case of huge nodes with double blood supply was not as promising as those small nodes. Conclusion: CDFI is useful to assess blood supply in ablation of hepatic cancer by using cluster electrode radio-frequency therapy.

Applications of cold atmospheric plasmas(CAPs)in agriculture:a brief review and the novel development of a radio-frequency CAP jet generator for plant mutation

Cold atmospheric plasmas(CAPs)have shown great applicability in agriculture.Many kinds of CAP sources have been studied in agricultural applications to promote plant growth and cure plant diseases.We briefly review the state-of-the-art stimulating effects of atmospheric-pressure dielectricbarrier-discharge(AP-DBD)plasmas,after the direct or indirect treatment of plants for growth promotion and disease control.We then discuss the special demands on the characteristics of the CAP sources for their applications in plant mutation breeding.An atmospheric and room temperature plasma(ARTP)jet generator with a large plasma irradiation area,a high enough concentration of chemically reactive species and a low gas temperature is designed for direct plant mutagenesis.Experimental measurements of the electrical,thermal and optical features of the ARTP generator are conducted.Then,an ARTP-P(ARTP for plant mutagenesis)mutation breeding machine is developed,and a typical case of plant mutation breeding by the ARTP-P mutation machine is presented using Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.seeds.Physical and agricultural experiments show that the newly-developed ARTP-P mutation breeding machine with a large irradiation area can generate uniform CAP jets with high concentrations of chemically reactive species and mild gas temperatures,and have signiflcant mutagenesis effects on the Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.seeds.The ARTP-P mutation breeding machine may provide a platform for systematic studies on mutation mechanisms and results for various plant seeds under different operating conditions in future research.

Successful Nitrogen Doping of 1.3 GHz Single Cell Superconducting Radio-Frequency Cavities

A high intrinsic quality factor （Q0） of a superconducting radio-frequency cavity is beneficial to reducing the oper- ation costs of superconducting accelerators. Nitrogen doping （N-doping） has been demonstrated as a aseful way to improve Q0 of the superconducting cavity in recent years. N-doping researches with 1.3 GHz single cell cavities are carried out at Peking University and the preliminary results are promising. Our recipe is slightly different from other laboratories. After 250μm polishing, high pressure rinsing and 3 h high temperature annealing, the cavities are nitrogen doped at 2.7-4.0Pa for 20rain and then followed by 15μm electropolishing. Vertical test results show that Q0 of a 1.3 GHz single cell cavity made of large grain niobium has increased to 4 ×10 10 at 2.0K and medium gradient.

Preparation of Indium Tin Oxide Films on Polycarbonate substrates by Radio-frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Indium tin oxide（ITO）thin films（100±10nm）were deposited on PC（polycarbonate）and glass substrates by rf（radio-frequency）mannetron spuutering.The oxygen content of the ITO films was changed by variation of the sputtering gas composition.All the other deposition parameters were kept constant.The sheet resistance.optical transmittance and microstructure of ITO films were investigated using a four-point probe.spectrophotometer,X-ray diffractometer（XRD）and atomic force microscope（AFM）.Sheet resistances for the ITO films with optical transmittance more than 75% on PC substrates varied from 40Ω/cm^2 to more than 104 Ω/cm^2 with increasing oxygen partial pressure from O to about 2%.The same tendeney of sheet resistances increasing with increasing oxygen partial pressure was observed on glass substrates.The X-ray diffraction data indicated polycrystalline filns with grain orientations predominantly along（440）and （422）directions.The intensities of （440）and （422）peaks increased slightly with the increase of oxygen partial pressure both on PC and glass substrates.The AFM images show that the ITO films on PC substrates were dense and uniform.The average grain size of the films was about 40nm.

Simulation of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge in γ mode

The existence of two diffe1：ent discharge modes has been verified in an rf （radio-frequency） atmospheric pressure glow discharge （APGD） by Shi [J. Appl. Phys. 97, 023306 （2005）]. In the first mode, referred to as a mode, the discharge current density is relatively low and the bulk plasma electrons acquire the energy due to the sheath expansion. In the second mode, termed γ mode, the discharge current density is relatively high, the secondary electrons emitted by cathodc under ion bombardment in the cathode sheath region play an important role in sustaining the discharge. In this paper, a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model for rf APGDs is used to simulate the discharge mechanisms in the mode in helium discharge between two parallel metallic planar electrodes. The results show that as the applied voltage increases, the discharge current becomes greater and the plasma density correspondingly increases, consequentially the discharge transits from the a mode into the γ mode. The high collisionality of the APGD plasma results in significant drop of discharge potential across the sheath region, and the electron Joule heating and the electron collisional energy loss reach their maxima in the region. The validity of the simulation is checked with the available experimental and numerical data.

Influence of magnetic filter field on the radio-frequency negative hydrogen ion source of neutral beam injector for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor

In the design of negative hydrogen ion sources,a magnetic filter field of tens of Gauss at the expansion region is essential to reduce the electron temperature,which usually results in a magnetic field of around 10 Gauss in the driver region,destabilizing the discharge.The magnetic shield technique is proposed in this work to reduce the magnetic field in the driver region and improve the discharge characteristics.In this paper,a three-dimensional fluid model is developed within COMSOL to study the influence of the magnetic shield on the generation and transport of plasmas in the negative hydrogen ion source.It is found that when the magnetic shield material is applied at the interface of the expansion region and the driver region,the electron density can be effectively increased.For instance,the maximum of the electron density is 6.7×10^(17)m^(-3)in the case without the magnetic shield,and the value increases to 9.4×10^(17)m^(-3)when the magnetic shield is introduced.

Theoretical Prediction of Gibbs Free Energies of Formation for Crystallineα-MOOH andα-M_2O_3 Based on a Linear Free-Energy Relationship

In the present study,the modified Sverjensky-Molling equation,derived from a linear-free energy relationship,is used to predict the Gibbs free energies of formation of crystalline phases ofα-MOOH （with a goethite structure）andα-M_2O_3（with a hematite structure）from the known thermodynamic properties of the corresponding aqueous trivalent cations（M^（3＋））.The modified equation is expressed asΔG_（f,M_VX）~0=a_（M_VX）ΔG_（0,M^（3＋））^（0）＋b_（M_VX）＋β_（M_VXγM^（3＋））,where the coefficients a_（M_VX）,b_（M_VX）,andβ_（M_VX） characterize a particular structural family of M_VX（M is a trivalent cation[M^（3＋）]and X represents the remainder of the composition of solid）;γ^（3＋）is the ionic radius of trivalent cations（M^（3＋））;ΔG_（f,M_VX）~0 is the standard Gibbs free energy of formation of M_vX;andΔG_（n,M^（3＋））~0 is the non-solvation energy of trivalent cations（M^（3＋））.By fitting the equation to the known experimental thermodynamic data,the coefficients for the goethite family（α-MOOH）are a_（M_VX）=0.8838,b_（M_VX）=-424.4431（kcal/mol）,andβ_（M_VX）=115（kcal/ mol.（？））,while the coefficients for the hematite family（α-M_2O_3）are a_（M_VX）=1.7468,b_（M_VX）=-814.9573（kcal/ mol）,andβ_（M_VX）=278（kcal/mol.（？））.The constrained relationship can be used to predict the standard Gibbs free energies of formation of crystalline phases and fictive phases（i.e.phases that are thermodynamically unstable and do not occur at standard conditions）within the isostructural families of goethite（α-MOOH）and hematite（α-M_2O_3）if the standard Gibbs free energies of formation of the trivalent cations are known.

Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler–Townes splitting in a weak radio-frequency electric field

We utilize an electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT) of a three-level cascade system involving Rydberg state in a room-temperature cell, formed with a cesium 6 S_(1/2)–6 P_(3/2)–66 S_(1/2) scheme, to investigate the Autler–Townes(AT)splitting resulting from a 15.21-GHz radio-frequency(RF) field that couples the |66 S_(1/2) → |65 P_(1/2) Rydberg transition.The radio-frequency electric field induced AT splitting, γAT, is defined as the peak-to-peak distance of an EIT-AT spectrum.The dependence of AT splitting γAT on the probe and coupling Rabi frequency, ?_p and ?_c, is investigated. It is found that the EIT-AT splitting strongly depends on the EIT linewidth that is related to the probe and coupling Rabi frequency in a weak RF-field regime. Using a narrow linewidth EIT spectrum would decrease the uncertainty of the RF field measurements.This work provides new experimental evidence for the theoretical framework in [J. Appl. Phys. 121, 233106(2017)].