Comparison Between Dust Particle Generation In CH4 or CH4/N2 Mixing RF Plasmas

Journal Article · Mon Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 2005 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2134614· OSTI ID:20726762

Pereira, Jeremy; Massereau-Guilbaud, Veronique; Geraud-Grenier, Isabelle; Plain, Andre ^[1]

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1. LASEP, Faculte des Sciences, Universite d'Orleans, Site de Bourges, rue G.Berger, BP 4043, 18028 Bourges Cedex (France)

Dust particles have been spontaneously generated either in pure CH4 or in CH4/N2 r.f. plasmas. The dust particle formation results from homogeneous nucleation in the plasma and is detected by laser light scattering (Ar+, {lambda} = 514.5 nm). The temporal and spatial behaviour of dust particles is studied. In pure methane gas, particles are trapped in well defined clouds at the plasma sheath boundaries. In a CH4/N2 mixture, the nitrogen addition leads to an expansion of the clouds. For nitrogen contents higher than 50%, the space between the electrodes is nearly completely filled with dust particles leading to plasma instabilities and a void appears in the center of the discharge. The particles are spherical with diameters in the range 0.8-2 {mu}m. For nitrogen-rich plasmas, the particles growth is improved and leads to a rough shape with an orange-peel-type surface texture.

• OSTI ID: 20726762
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 799, Issue 1; Conference: 4. international conference on the physics of dusty plasmas, Orleans (France), 13-17 Jun 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2134614; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DUSTS
ELECTRODES
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
LASER RADIATION
LIGHT SCATTERING
METHANE
MIXTURES
NITROGEN
NITROGEN ADDITIONS
PARTICLES
PLASMA
PLASMA EXPANSION
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SHEATH
SPHERICAL CONFIGURATION
SURFACES
TEXTURE
TRAPPING
VOIDS