External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma

Liu, Lei; Sridhar, Shyam; Zhu, Weiye; Logue, Michael D.

doi:10.1063/1.4928870

Title: External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma

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Abstract

The control of electron energy probability functions (EEPFs) in low pressure partially ionized plasmas is typically accomplished through the format of the applied power. For example, through the use of pulse power, the EEPF can be modulated to produce shapes not possible under continuous wave excitation. This technique uses internal control. In this paper, we discuss a method for external control of EEPFs by transport of electrons between separately powered inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs). The reactor incorporates dual ICP sources (main and auxiliary) in a tandem geometry whose plasma volumes are separated by a grid. The auxiliary ICP is continuously powered while the main ICP is pulsed. Langmuir probe measurements of the EEPFs during the afterglow of the main ICP suggests that transport of hot electrons from the auxiliary plasma provided what is effectively an external source of energetic electrons. The tail of the EEPF and bulk electron temperature were then elevated in the afterglow of the main ICP by this external source of power. Results from a computer simulation for the evolution of the EEPFs concur with measured trends.

Authors:: Liu, Lei; Sridhar, Shyam; Zhu, Weiye; Logue, Michael D.

Publication Date:: Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015

OSTI Identifier:: 22494786

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Journal of Applied Physics

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 118; Journal Issue: 8; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; AFTERGLOW; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; ENERGY SPECTRA; EXCITATION; ICP MASS SPECTROSCOPY; LANGMUIR PROBE; PLASMA; PRESSURE RANGE KILO PA; PROBABILITY; TAIL ELECTRONS

Citation Formats


                    Liu, Lei, Sridhar, Shyam, Zhu, Weiye, Donnelly, Vincent M., E-mail: vmdonnelly@uh.edu, Economou, Demetre J., E-mail: economou@uh.edu, Logue, Michael D., and Kushner, Mark J., E-mail: mjkush@umich.edu. External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.4928870.

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                    Liu, Lei, Sridhar, Shyam, Zhu, Weiye, Donnelly, Vincent M., E-mail: vmdonnelly@uh.edu, Economou, Demetre J., E-mail: economou@uh.edu, Logue, Michael D., & Kushner, Mark J., E-mail: mjkush@umich.edu. External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928870

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                    Liu, Lei, Sridhar, Shyam, Zhu, Weiye, Donnelly, Vincent M., E-mail: vmdonnelly@uh.edu, Economou, Demetre J., E-mail: economou@uh.edu, Logue, Michael D., and Kushner, Mark J., E-mail: mjkush@umich.edu. 2015.  
        "External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928870.

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@article{osti_22494786,

  title        = {External control of electron energy distributions in a dual tandem inductively coupled plasma},

  author       = {Liu, Lei and Sridhar, Shyam and Zhu, Weiye and Donnelly, Vincent M., E-mail: vmdonnelly@uh.edu and Economou, Demetre J., E-mail: economou@uh.edu and Logue, Michael D. and Kushner, Mark J., E-mail: mjkush@umich.edu},

  abstractNote = {The control of electron energy probability functions (EEPFs) in low pressure partially ionized plasmas is typically accomplished through the format of the applied power. For example, through the use of pulse power, the EEPF can be modulated to produce shapes not possible under continuous wave excitation. This technique uses internal control. In this paper, we discuss a method for external control of EEPFs by transport of electrons between separately powered inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs). The reactor incorporates dual ICP sources (main and auxiliary) in a tandem geometry whose plasma volumes are separated by a grid. The auxiliary ICP is continuously powered while the main ICP is pulsed. Langmuir probe measurements of the EEPFs during the afterglow of the main ICP suggests that transport of hot electrons from the auxiliary plasma provided what is effectively an external source of energetic electrons. The tail of the EEPF and bulk electron temperature were then elevated in the afterglow of the main ICP by this external source of power. Results from a computer simulation for the evolution of the EEPFs concur with measured trends.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.4928870},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22494786},
  journal      = {Journal of Applied Physics},

  issn         = {0021-8979},

  number       = 8,

  volume       = 118,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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