大气压微等离子体射流电子密度研究

采用微空心阴极放电装置,利用光学方法和电学方法研究了大气压流动Ar和N₂混合气体中产生的微等离子体射流特性。研究发现,随着电源输入功率增大到一定数值,微空心阴极装置中两个电极间气体发生击穿,通过击穿气隙气体的流动会沿着气流方向产生最大为4 mm的等离子体射流。放电电流为准连续的脉冲放电形式,其中放电电流脉冲宽度约为0.1 μs。分别利用爱因斯坦方程和等离子体发射光谱中谱线的Stark展宽方法计算了电子密度。结果发现,2种计算方法得出的微等离子体射流的电子密度均在1015·cm-3的量级。研究还发现,功率对微等离子体射流电子密度影响不大。利用气体击穿理论,对以上结论进行了定性分析。     

大面积等离子体片密度分布分析

利用空心阴极放电产生了尺寸为60 cm× 60 cm× 2 cm的大面积等离子体面. 在实验室条件下对大面积等离子体片的密度分布进行了测量. 由于高压放电脉冲脉宽较短, 实验中改变了测量方法, 同时, 在中等磁场影响下, 为了得到真实的等离子体密度, 进行了必要的数值修正.在放电电流为1---6 A时, 测量了二维的电子密度分布. 另外, 测量并讨论了其他环境参数对等离子体密度的影响. 电子密度的分布情况对与微波波束切换相当重要. 由空心阴极增强型放电产生的大面积等离子体面具有反射X波段(8---12 GHz) 微波需要的足够稠密的电子密度和足够均匀的密度分布, 这是等离子体面在雷达系统中取代金属面板的有利条件.     

微空心阴极放电时空特性

为了揭示微空心阴极放电的放电机理,利用流体模型研究了矩形微空心阴极放电的时间和空间分布特性。在氩气环境下计算得到了压强为1.3×10~4Pa时电流、电势、电场、电子和离子密度等随时间的发展变化。结果表明,整个放电过程分为四个阶段,即预放电阶段、电场由轴向向径向转换阶段、电流缓慢增长向空心阴极效应过渡阶段和稳态放电阶段。稳态放电时出现明显的空心阴极效应,阴极位降区存在很高的径向电场和较高的电子平均能量,而负辉区径向电场很弱,电子平均能量较低,电子和离子密度峰值出现在负辉区,二者数值基本相等,而在阴极位降区离子密度远高于电子密度。     

电磁波在大面积等离子体片中传播特性的分析

脉冲磁约束线形空心阴极放电形成的大面积等离子体片可应用于等离子体天线、隐身及模拟超音速飞行器表面的等离子体鞘套. 本文首次利用实测等离子体片电子密度时空分布和横向场传播矩阵法, 研究了电磁波在等离子体片中反射率、透射率、吸收率随频率及脉冲放电时间的变化特征. 结果表明: 极化方向平行磁场的电磁波, 在小于截止频率的低频带内具有较高的反射率和吸收率, 增大电流, 反射率增加, 吸收率下降, 在大于截止频率的高频带内反射率和吸收率较低, 增大电流, 透射率下降, 吸收率升高; 极化方向垂直磁场的电磁波在高混杂谐振频率附近存在吸收率明显增强的吸收带, 谐振吸收峰值与放电电流无关; 脉冲放电期间, 电磁波的反射率、透射率与吸收率由不稳定过渡到稳定的时间约为100 μs, 过渡时间随着放电电流的增加而增大, 极化方向垂直磁场、小于截止频率的电磁波在稳定放电阶段谐振吸收较强. 本文的研究成果对利用等离子体片实现对电磁波的稳定高反射作用具有重要意义.     

高电流低气压等离子体阴极电子枪设计与实验

 设计了一种新型的高功率低气压等离子体电子枪。基于空心阴极效应和低压辉光放电原理与经验，确定了空心阴极、加速间隙、工作气压范围等。提出关于等离子体阴极电子枪产生高功率、高密度电子束源的整体方案。分别在连续馈气和脉冲馈气条件下进行实验测试，得到放电电流、收集极电流与气压、脉宽及调制器电压的关系。实验获得电子枪的典型放电电流为150~200 A，脉宽60 μs；传输电子束达到30~80 A，脉宽60 μs。该结果表明该新型等离子体阴极电子枪可以取代材料阴极作为大电流、长脉冲电子束源，特别适用于等离子体加载微波管。     

高气压空气环状感性耦合等离子体实验研究和参数诊断

等离子体的电子密度分布, 电子碰撞频率分布, 覆盖面积, 厚度是影响其覆盖目标电磁散射特征的关键属性. 对此, 本文开展了在20 cm×20 cm×7 cm石英腔内感性耦合等离子体(ICP)的放电实验, 观察了在高气压条件下, 空气ICP的环形放电形态, E-H模式跳变现象和分层结构, 测量了其电负性核心区和电正性边缘区宽度和厚度随功率、气压的变化趋势, 并通过COMSOL Multiphysics对平板线圈磁场强度分布的分析和电负性气体扩散理论给予上述现象合理的解释, 同时, 利用微波透射干涉法测量了核心区域的电子密度随功率和气压的变化曲线, 利用理论模型计算了边缘区域的电子密度分布, 最后通过辅助气体Ar发射谱线的玻尔兹曼图形法得到了核心区和边缘区的电子激发温度.     

电极构形对形成大面积放电均匀性影响

 设计并制作了空心阴极、钮扣阴极、针阴极和条形阴极，利用CCD照相，在5cm×5cm口径范围内，分别对四种阴极放电的空间均匀性进行了研究。实验表明，在预电离电压800V，主放电电压3kV和气体气压约30Pa的条件下，利用空心阴极放电，能够获得空间较为均匀的放电等离子体。放电等离子体可以用作普克尔盒电光开关的等离子体电极。     

小型空心阴极等离子体电子枪实验

基于空心阴极效应和低压辉光放电原理,设计了一种小型空心阴极等离子体电子枪并进行了实验研究,在低气压下获得了稳定的空心阴极辉光放电,测量电子枪放电结果表明:在空心阴极中加入灯丝热子可明显降低放电气压;电子束电流的大小随放电电压增大而增大,受气体气压影响较小;在气压2Pa,放电电压10kV,脉宽4μs脉冲下放电,可得到脉宽为2μs,电流为600mA的电子束。     

低气压长间隙介质阻挡放电的光谱诊断

设计了一种电极间隔为10 cm的介质阻挡放电装置,以氩气为工作气体,在低气压下产生等离子体。采用发射光谱法,研究了放电空腔内等离子体电子温度和电子密度随空间位置的变化规律。等离子体电子温度的变化通过使用Corona模型计算获得,等离子体电子密度的变化通过分析Ar原子750.4 nm谱线强度变化得到。实验发现空腔内不同位置的等离子体电子温度和电子密度是不同的。当测量位置从阴极向阳极移动时,电子温度先略上升而后迅速下降,再缓慢上升;电子密度先缓慢而后迅速地增大。     

赝火花开关放电的蒙特卡罗粒子模拟

采用粒子模拟和蒙特卡罗相结合的方法,应用静电求解模型,对赝火花开关初始放电过程进行了模拟。赝火花开关初始放电过程主要由汤森放电过程、等离子体形成、空心阴极效应和场致发射引发主放电组成;等离子体形成和空心阴极效应对赝火花开关的发展导通具有至关重要的作用。改变赝火花开关工作参数,如气压、电极孔径、阳极电压和阴极腔中初始粒子密度,研究其对赝火花开关电子峰值电流形成时间的影响。结果表明:随着气压、电极孔径、阳极电压和初始粒子密度的增大,赝火花开关电子峰值电流形成时间减小。     

Localization of plasma in the extended hollow cathode of a ribbon-electron-beam plasma source at forevacuum pressures

The results of a study of the plasma density distribution in the slit aperture of a right-angled extended hollow cathode used in a ribbon-electron-beam plasma source operating at forevacuum pressures (1–10 Pa) are presented. It is shown that a local peak of plasma density appears in some region of the slit aperture as the slit width is decreased. This results in the appearance of a region of increased current density when the ribbon beam forms. The uniformity of the beam current density distribution is additionally disturbed by the reverse ion flow whose effect on the emission properties of the plasma is significant in the region of elevated pressure. A model which describes the development of plasma density nonuniformity in a hollow cathode is proposed which is based on the idea that the electron current flows predominantly through the slit aperture regions that are associated with local openings of the cathode layer ion sheaths. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 3–9, June, 2007.     

Effect of the electron beam and ion flux parameters on the rate of plasma nitriding of an austenitic stainless steel

The method of nitriding of metals in an electron beam plasma is used to change the current density and energy of nitrogen ions by varying the electron beam parameters (5–20 A, 60–500 eV). An electron beam is generated by an electron source based on a self-heated hollow cathode discharge. Stainless steel 12Kh18N10T is saturated by nitrogen at 500°C for 1 h. The microhardness is measured on transverse polished sections to obtain the dependences of the nitrided layer thickness on the ion current density (1.6–6.2 mA/cm²), the ion energy (100–300 eV), and the nitrogen-argon mixture pressure (1–10 Pa). The layer thickness decreases by 4–5 μm when the ion energy increases by 100 V and increases from 19 to 33 μm when the ion current density increases. The pressure dependence of the layer thickness has a maximum. These results are in conflict with the conclusions of the theory of the limitation of the layer thickness by ion sputtering, and the effective diffusion coefficient significantly exceeds the well-known reported data.     

Characteristics of an ion source with a plasma cathode and a multipole magnetic system for confining fast electrons

Parameters and ion-emission characteristics of the plasma generated in the anode stage of an ion source with a hollow glow-discharge plasma cathode are studied. To decrease the minimum operating gas pressure to 5×10³ Pa, a multipole magnetic system was installed on the surface of the hollow cathode and the peripheral magnetic field was enhanced in the anode stage of the source. The effect of the gas pressure, the plasma-cathode current, and the voltage between the electrodes of the anode stage on the value of the ion current extracted from the plasma is investigated. It is found that the size of the exit aperture of the hollow cathode substantially affects the efficiency of ion extraction. The potential (1–5 V) and the electron temperature (1–8 eV) of the anode-stage plasma are measured by the probe method. The conditions are determined that ensure the maximum ion-emission current from the plasma at low gas pressures.     

微腔等离子体放电过程的数值研究

采用2维自洽完全流体模型,数值研究了阳极为通孔的高气压微腔放电结构中等离子体参数的变化过程。模拟结果获得了当氩气压强为13.3 kPa时,放电中的电势分布、等离子体密度分布、径向电场分布和电子温度分布等重要参数的演化过程。模拟结果表明在放电过程中,阴极附近的电场由轴向电场逐步转变为径向电场,等离子体密度最大值位于放电腔中间处,并随时间推移由阳极附近向阴极附近移动,电子温度的最大值出现在阴极环形鞘层区域。     

Generation of a pulsed high-current low-energy beam in a plasma electron source with a self-heated cathode

The transition of a low-current discharge with a self-heated hollow cathode to a high-current discharge is studied, and stability conditions for the latter in the pulsed–periodic mode with a current of 0.1–1.0 kA, pulse width of 0.1–1.0 ms, and a pulse repetition rate of 0.1–1.0 kHz are determined. The thermal conditions of the hollow cathode are analyzed, and the conclusion is drawn that the emission current high density is due to pulsed self-heating of the cathode’s surface layer. Conditions for stable emission from a plasma cathode with a grid acting as a plasma boundary using such a discharge are found at low accelerating voltage (100–200 eV) and a gas pressure of 0.1–0.4 Pa. The density of the ion current from a plasma generated by a pulsed beam with a current of 100 A is found to reach 0.1 A/cm². Probe diagnostics data for the emitting and beam plasmas in the electron source are presented, and a mechanism behind the instability of electron emission from the plasma is suggested on their basis.     

Formation of Films of Tungsten and its Oxides in a High-Frequency Capacitive Discharge in a D<Subscript>2</Subscript>-O<Subscript>2</Subscript> Mixture

A technique for tungsten-film deposition on different substrates in asymmetrical high-frequency (1.76 MHz) capacitive discharge in a D₂?6.5 mol % O₂ mixture under a total pressure of 15 Pa and at 60–130°C is considered. A circular W strip near the upper inner edge of a cylindrical hollow cathode with a radius of 4.2 cm and a height of 10 cm is the source of W particles. The smooth transition from sputtering of the inner surface to deposition occurs at a distance of about 4 cm from the upper boundary of the open part of the cathode. W, Mo, ZrO₂, Si, and Cu substrates are placed in the lower closed end (bottom) and on the inner lateral cathode surface. At the upper cathode edge the sputtering yield is (4–5) × 10^?2 at/ion. The mass rate of W deposition on the cathode bottom does not depend on the substrate type and is 40 μg/(cm² h). The peculiarities of the composition, morphology, and structure of W films obtained on the lateral surface and bottom of the hollow cathode are discussed.