H.E. Porteanu¹, R. Gesche¹ and K. Wandel²

Published in:

Plasma Sources Sci. Technol., vol. 22, no. 035016 (2013).

Abstract:

A miniature double plasma jet source driven at microwave frequencies (∼2.45 GHz) was developed and analyzed. The source consists of a copper resonator (screened within an aluminum housing) that excites plasma simultaneously in two alumina tubes of 5mm internal diameter. Field and plasma simulations were performed using the software Comsol. Assuming a homogeneous electron distribution we calculate the plasma impedance as a function of its conductivity. The electron density and the plasma conductivity are estimated as a function of the absorbed power in plasma for argon and oxygen. Experimentally it was shown that the microwave energy is coupled into oxygen plasma with an efficiency of >85% and into argon plasma with ∼30%. The source efficiently produces atomic oxygen and nitrogen as is demonstrated by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition. Finally, the time evolution during ignition, the transition from low efficient capacitive to highly efficient inductive coupling, the free electron distribution as a function of time and other parameters are analyzed.

PACS:

52.80.Yr Discharges for spectral sources (including inductively coupled plasma); 52.70.Gw Radio-frequency and microwave measurements; 52.25.Fi Transport properties; 52.50.Dg Plasma sources

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