The Study of Magnetized Electronegative Depositing Plasmas

从理论和实验的角度来看，电负性物质在技术等离子体中的重要性目前引起了极大的兴趣，最近的许多工作都集中在反应性离子蚀刻放电上。然而，就负离子的作用而言，其他非常重要的等离子体系统在某种程度上被科学家和工程师所忽视，例如，脉冲磁化放电（溅射磁控管）用于含有电负性气体（如氧）的薄膜的反应性沉积。在这个项目中，我们将首次详细研究负离子对脉冲磁控管等离子体结构和动力学的作用。特别是，我们的目标是对磁控管中O-和O2-等电负性物质的浓度、能量和通量进行定量的时空测量。实验研究将辅以必要的建模活动，以充分理解和解释我们的诊断工具，并阐明基本的物理过程。等离子体测量将有助于理解薄膜生长动力学，基础数据可用于其他面向表面工程的项目。

The importance of electronegative species in technological plasmas is currently of great interest, both from a theoretical and experimental point of view, with much of the recent work concentrating on reactive ion etching discharges.However, other very important plasma systems have been somewhat neglected by scientist and engineers in terms of the role of negative ions, for instance, pulsed magnetized discharges (the sputter magnetron) used for the reactive deposition of thin films which contain electronegative gases such as oxygen. In this project, we will perform the first detailed study of the role of negative ions on the structure and dynamics of the pulsed magnetron plasma. In particular, it is our aim to make quantitative temporal and spatial measurements of the concentrations, energies and fluxes of electronegative species such as O- and O2- in the magnetron. The experimental study will be supplemented by modelling activity necessary to fully understand and interpret our diagnostic tools and shed light on the fundamental physical processes. The plasma measurements will be useful in understanding thin film growth dynamics and the fundamental data can be used in other more surface engineering orientated projects.