Magnetic-field-dependent plasma composition of a pulsed arc in a high-vacuum ambient

Journal Article · Mon Mar 20 04:00:00 EST 2000 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.126086· OSTI ID:20215688

Schneider, Jochen M ^[1]; Anders, Andre ^[2]; Hjoervarsson, Bjoergvin ^[3]; Hultman, Lars ^[4]

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1. Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Linkoeping University, SE-58183 Linkoeping, (Sweden)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
3. Department of Materials Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), SE-10044 Stockholm, (Sweden)
4. Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Linkoeping University, S-58183 Linkoeping, (Sweden)

The effect of a magnetic field on the plasma composition of a pulsed Au plasma stream in a high-vacuum ambient is described. The plasma was formed with a pulsed vacuum-arc-plasma source, and the time-resolved plasma composition was measured with time-of-flight charge-to-mass spectrometry. Plasma impurities due to ionization of nonmetallic species (H{sup +}, O{sup +}, and N{sup +}) were found to be below the detection limit in the absence of a magnetic field. However, in the presence of a magnetic field (0.4 T), the contribution of ionized nonmetal species to the plasma composition was up to 0.22 atomic ratio. These results are characteristic of plasma-based techniques where magnetic fields are employed in a high-vacuum ambient. In effect, the impurity incorporation during thin-film growth pertains to the present findings. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.

• OSTI ID: 20215688
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 76; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ELECTRIC ARCS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GOLD
IONIZATION
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS SPECTRA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA IMPURITIES