ECLIPSE/Collaborative Proposal: Studying Microwave-Plasma Interactions at Solid Interfaces Using Microwave Microstrip Architectures

本项目探索微波辐射对由电子、离子和中性粒子组成的低温等离子体的影响。低温等离子体通常用于从制造到医药再到清洁能源技术的领域，并且希望能够基于手头应用的要求来实时地修改等离子体。一种很有前途的改变等离子体条件的方法是利用微波能量。微波场通常用于等离子体科学中的诊断测量，以及作为产生和维持等离子体的一种手段。然而，关于如何使用微波来增强和修改由其他方法产生的等离子体，人们知之甚少。在这个项目中，将研究高聚焦微波辐射的影响，以便更好地了解微波耦合到等离子体中，目的是提供一种可预测地改变等离子体条件的手段。这项工作得到了由纽约州立大学布法罗分校和德克萨斯理工大学合作的等离子体科学与工程领先创新生态系统(ECLIPSE)计划的支持。该项目将设计和开发一套针对不同微波频率的微波带线和微带结构，并专门适应不同等离子体类型中的等离子体条件。聚焦微波场与固体界面附近的激光诱导等离子体和降压辉光放电的相互作用将通过实时阻抗和矢量网络测量、光学发射光谱、可调谐二极管激光吸收光谱和汤姆逊散射测量来研究。这些测量将被用来计算基本参数，如电子数密度和温度、玻尔兹曼平衡激发温度、电离温度、旋转温度和振动温度。该项目的一个主要重点将是确定与微波的相互作用如何改变这些基本的等离子体参数，从而了解微波如何扰乱等离子体中的不同能量路径。拟议工作的成果将包括对等离子体中微波耦合的更好理解。可以利用这一点来创造优化微波/等离子体相互作用的改进方法，从而导致新的能效系统和技术的开发。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project explores the effect of microwave radiation on low temperature plasmas composed of electrons, ions, and neutral particles. Low temperature plasmas are routinely used in fields from manufacturing to medicine to clean energy technology, and it is desirable to be able to modify a plasma in real-time based on the requirements of the application at hand. A promising method of changing plasma conditions is through the use of microwave energy. Microwave fields are often used in plasma science for diagnostic measurement and as a means of creating and sustaining plasmas. However, relatively little is known as to how microwaves can be used to augment and modify plasmas created by other means. In this project, the effect of highly-focused microwave radiation will be studied in order to develop an improved understanding of microwave coupling into plasmas with the goal of providing a means of predictably changing plasma conditions. This work is supported through the ECosystem for Leading Innovation in Plasma Science and Engineering (ECLIPSE) program as a collaboration between the State University of New York at Buffalo and Texas Tech University.This project will design and develop a set of microwave stripline and microstrip structures aimed at different microwave frequencies and adapted specifically to the plasma conditions found within different plasma types. The interaction of focused microwave fields with laser induced plasmas and reduced-pressure glow discharges in the proximity of solid interfaces will be studied by real-time electrical impedance and vector network measurements, optical emission spectrometry, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, and Thomson scattering measurements. These measurements will be used to calculate fundamental parameters, such as electron number density and temperature, Boltzmann equilibria excitation temperatures, ionization temperatures, rotational temperatures, and vibrational temperatures. A major focus of the project will be to determine how interactions with microwaves alter these fundamental plasma parameters, and thereby to understand how microwaves perturb the different energy pathways in the plasma. The outcomes of the proposed work will include an improved understanding of microwave coupling in plasmas. This can be exploited in order to create improved means of optimizing microwave/plasma interactions that will lead to the development of new energy efficient systems and technologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.