Propagation of vacuum arc plasma beam in a toroidal filter

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/27.553203· OSTI ID:419699

Alterkop, B A; Zhitomirsky, V N; Goldsmith, S; Boxman, R L ^[1]

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1. Tel-Aviv Univ. (Israel). Electrical Discharge and Plasma Lab.

Recently, filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD) has been studied as a coating technology for the deposition of metallic and ceramic films. In this method metal vapor plasma and molten metal droplets are generated at cathode spots, and a toroidal magnetic fiber is used to remove the droplets from the plasma beam. Here, an analytical solution to the problem of plasma beam transport in a toroidal magnetic filter for unmagnetized ions is derived. A two-fluid model taking into account electromagnetic and pressure forces, electron-ion collisions, magnetic force line curvature, and radial dependence of centrifugal force is used. From comparison with experimental data it is shown that the obtained solution describes well the main properties of plasma beam behavior in the filter, e.g., (1) the relative value of the ion current along the torus decreases exponentially, (2) the deflection of the plasma beam from the center of the torus correlates with the centrifugal drift of the plasma beam across a magnetic field, and (3) experiment and theory agree well on the weak correlation between magnetic field strength and filter efficiency.

• OSTI ID: 419699
• Journal Information: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 24; ISSN ITPSBD; ISSN 0093-3813
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BEAM TRANSPORT
CERAMICS
MAGNETIC FILTERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
PLASMA DRIFT
THEORETICAL DATA
VACUUM COATING