• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.02a
• /
• pp.96-97
• /
• 2012

In nitride and oxide film deposition, sputtered metals react with nitrogen or oxygen gas in a vacuum chamber to form metal nitride or oxide films on a substrate. The physical properties of sputtered films (metals, oxides, and nitrides) are strongly influenced by magnetron plasma density during the deposition process. Typical target power densities on the magnetron during the deposition process are ~ (5-30) W/cm2, which gives a relatively low plasma density. The main challenge in reactive sputtering is the ability to generate a stable, arc free discharge at high plasma densities. Arcs occur due to formation of an insulating layer on the target surface caused by the re-deposition effect. One current method of generating an arc free discharge is to use the commercially available Pinnacle Plus+ Pulsed DC plasma generator manufactured by Advanced Energy Inc. This plasma generator uses a positive voltage pulse between negative pulses to attract electrons and discharge the target surface, thus preventing arc formation. However, this method can only generate low density plasma and therefore cannot allow full control of film properties. Also, after long runs ~ (1-3) hours, depends on duty cycle the stability of the reactive process is reduced due to increased probability of arc formation. Between 1995 and 1999, a new way of magnetron sputtering called HIPIMS (highly ionized pulse impulse magnetron sputtering) was developed. The main idea of this approach is to apply short ${\sim}(50-100){\mu}s$ high power pulses with a target power densities during the pulse between ~ (1-3) kW/cm2. These high power pulses generate high-density magnetron plasma that can significantly improve and control film properties. From the beginning, HIPIMS method has been applied to reactive sputtering processes for deposition of conductive and nonconductive films. However, commercially available HIPIMS plasma generators have not been able to create a stable, arc-free discharge in most reactive magnetron sputtering processes. HIPIMS plasma generators have been successfully used in reactive sputtering of nitrides for hard coating applications and for Al2O3 films. But until now there has been no HIPIMS data presented on reactive sputtering in cluster tools for semiconductors and MEMs applications. In this presentation, a new method of generating an arc free discharge for reactive HIPIMS using the new Cyprium plasma generator from Zpulser LLC will be introduced. Data (or evidence) will be presented showing that arc formation in reactive HIPIMS can be controlled without applying a positive voltage pulse between high power pulses. Arc-free reactive HIPIMS processes for sputtering AlN, TiO2, TiN and Si3N4 on the Applied Materials ENDURA 200 mm cluster tool will be presented. A direct comparison of the properties of films sputtered with the Advanced Energy Pinnacle Plus + plasma generator and the Zpulser Cyprium plasma generator will be presented.

• 전기의세계
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.75-85
• /
• 1975

In order to develop the commercial frequency (60Hz) plasma torch of small capacity for material cutting, welding and other industrial heating, the A.C plasma jet generator of non-transfered type is made domestically and the electrode configurations of plasma torch are composed of two kinds of electrodes W-C and W-Cu, combined by thermal emission and field emission electrode materials. In this paper, the characteristics of input power, thermal efficiency, electrode consumption, the flame and forms of arc voltage and arc current for A.C plasma torch are investigated in relation to such variables as arc current, argon flow and magnetic field intensity to obtain the basic design data necessary to A.C plasma jet generator. The result are as follows; (1)The input power, thermal efficiency and electrode consumption are influenced greatly by argon flow, magnetic field intensity and nozzle materials. (2)A.C arc voltage and current are non-symmetrial, involving D.C Component. Due to this current of D.C Component, transformer core is saturated and a large abnormal current flows into the primary winding coil. In order to prevent this abnormal current flow, a condenser must be connected in series to the main discharge circuit. (3)The stability and sharpness of jet flame are improved more in the torch of W-C electrode configuration than in the torch of W-Cu electrode configuration.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
• /
• 2012.08a
• /
• pp.269-269
• /
• 2012

A new ion source has been designed, fabricated, and installed at the NBTS (Neutral Beam Test Stand) at the KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) site. The goalis to provide a 100 keV, 2MW deuterium neutral beam injection as an auxiliary heating of KSTAR (Korea Super Tokamak Advanced Research). To cope with power demand, an ion current of 50 A is required considering the beam power loss and neutralization efficiency. The new ion source consists of a magnetic cusp bucket plasma generator and a set of tetrode accelerators with circular copper apertures. The plasma generator for the new ion source has the same design concept as the modified JAEA multi-cusp plasma generator for the KSTAR prototype ion source. The dimensions of the plasma generator are a cross section of $59{\times}25cm^2$ with a 32.5 cm depth. The anode has azimuthal arrays of Nd-Fe permanent magnets (3.4 kG at surface) in the bucket and an electron dump, which makes 9 cusp lines including the electron dump. The discharge properties were investigated preliminarily to enhance the efficiency of the beam extraction. The discharge of the new ion source was mainly controlled by a constant power mode of operation. The discharge of the plasma generator was initiated by the support of primary electrons emitted from the cathode, consisting of 12 tungsten filaments with a hair-pin type (diameter = 2.0 mm). The arc discharge of the new ion source was achieved easily up to an arc power of 80 kW (80 V/1000 A) with hydrogen gas. The 80 kW capacity seems sufficient for the arc power supply to attain the goal of arc efficiency (beam extracted current/discharge input power = 0.8 A/kW). The accelerator of the new ion source consists of four grids: plasma grid (G1), gradient grid (G2), suppressor grid (G3), and ground grid (G4). Each grid has 280 EA circular apertures. The performance tests of the new ion source accelerator were also finished including accelerator conditioning. A hydrogen ion beam was successfully extracted up to 100 keV /60 A. The optimum perveance is defined where the beam divergence is at a minimum was also investigated experimentally. The optimum hydrogen beam perveance is over $2.3{\mu}P$ at 60 keV, and the beam divergence angle is below $1.0^{\circ}$. Thus, the new ion source is expected to be capable of extracting more than a 5 MW deuterium ion beam power at 100 keV. This ion source can deliver ~2 MW of neutral beam power to KSTAR tokamak plasma for the 2012 campaign.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2002.11a
• /
• pp.209-211
• /
• 2002

A simple-structured thermal plasma generator for waste gas treatment has been studied. The thermal plasma technology applied to waste treatment has undoubtedly gained high importance owing to its outstanding properties such as flexibility, compact reactor, and clean treatment. Moreover, the thermal plasma generated by ac power has some additional advantages such as simple electrode system and easy maintenance. A prototype 200kW class plasma generator with specifications of 10-30m/sec gas velocity and 3000-5000K temperature on the center just outside of the nozzle has been designed and tested. Case studies on heat transfer, heat flow, velocity distribution, and temperature distribution using a commercial simulation package show lots of flexibility in design. The experimental results from theprototype generator show that the ac thermal plasma is easily controlled by working gas flow once it is ignited. A stabilization condition is discussed with the data from monitoring arc voltage drops with respect to gas flow rate during the test.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.246-252
• /
• 2016

In this paper, reduction of monostatic RCS by DBD plasma is measured. For the calibration of monostatic RCS, S-parameters of two metallic plate in different sizes are used and the result is within 0.4 dB error. Metallic plate is put behind DBD plasma generator for measuring reduction of monostatic RCS by DBD plasma. To prevent arc discharge between metallic plate and DBD plasma generator, measurement is progressed spacing the interval between metallic plate and DBD plasma generator. As a result, maximum reduction of monostatic RCS is about 3 dB at 7.4 GHz.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
• /
• 2010.11a
• /
• pp.537-540
• /
• 2010

An Enhanced Huels Type Plasma Torch that generates over $5000^{\circ}C$ plasma arc flow is the core equipment of arc-jet wind tunnel. It is applied to the high-tech areas such as a new materials development and eco-friendly industry. Although the Enhanced Huels Type Plasma Torch produce uniform flow of high purity, its complicated structure and operating condition makes the commercialization of it to be difficult. The 400kW arc-jet generator using the enhanced Huels type plasma torch was tested. The result of this study showed that the torch was operated in the range of 280~320 A and 250~1350 V.

• 전기의세계
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.27-38
• /
• 1972

This paper discusses the characteristics about the ignition of D.C. main discharge is a plasma jet generator, manufactured for trial as non-transferred type, when the electrical energy appropriate to the ignition is supplied to the gap between the electrodes by using advance discharge of attenuating high frequency voltage generated by a high frequency oscillator with mercury spark gap. These characteristics are under the influences of (a) the length of mercury gap in high frequency oscillator and the quantity of hydrogen flow supplied to it, (b) the condenser capacity of the high frequency oscillator circuit, (c) the length of plasma jet torch in D.C. main discharge circuit and the quantity of argon flow supplied to it, (d) the circuit constants of D.C. main discharge circuit. The results for these characteristics, obtained by this research, are considered to be helpful to the designs for the ignition of a plasma jet as well as the welding arc stabilizer by high frequency discharge and the high frequency arc welder.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.46-56
• /
• 2013

The test facility with hot-air supply system is required to develop transpiration cooling materials and experimentally evaluate its performance. In the study, the facility consists of an arc-plasma generator, plenum chamber suppling cold air, and test section was designed and an internal flow analysis was executed. From CFD results, it was confirmed that the designed plenum chamber thermally safeties and ideally mixes with plasma gas and cold air in the chamber. In addition, validity of design for supplying homogeneous flow to the test section was confirmed by this analysis.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.357-363
• /
• 2004

A prototype long pulse ion source was developed, and the beam extraction experiments of the ion source were carried out at the Neutral Beam Test Stand (NBTS) of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR). The ion source consists of a magnetic bucket plasma generator, with multi-pole cusp fields, and a set of tetrode accelerators with circular apertures. Design requirements for the ion source were a 120kV/65A deuterium beam and a 300 s pulse length. Arc discharges of the plasma generator were controlled by using the emission-limited mode, in turn controlled by the applied heating voltage of the cathode filaments. Stable and efficient arc plasmas with a maximum arc power of 100 kW were produced using the constant power mode operation of an arc power supply. A maximum ion density of $8.3{\times}10^{11}\;cm^{-3}$ was obtained by using electrostatic probes, and an optimum arc efficiency of 0.46 A/kW was estimated. The accelerating and decelerating voltages were applied repeatedly, using the re-triggering mode operation of the high voltage switches during a beam pulse, when beam disruptions occurred. The decelerating voltage was always applied prior to the accelerating voltage, to suppress effectively the back-streaming electrons produced at the time of an initial beam formation, by the pre-programmed fast-switch control system. A maximum beam power of 0.9 MW (i.e. $70\;kV{\times}12.5\;A$) with hydrogen was measured for a pulse duration of 0.8 s. Optimum beam perveance, deduced from the ratio of the gradient grid current to the total beam current, was $0.7\;{\mu}perv$. Stable beams for a long pulse duration of $5{\sim}10\;s$ were tested at low accelerating voltages.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2001

Urgency of using plasma-energy technologies in power industry, is outlined, increasing of economical efficiency, decreasing of energy consumption and decreasing of environmental pollution, are shown, scientific and technical bases for plasma-energy technologies of fuel utilisation, are designed, results of theoretical, experimental and rig investigations of processes of plasma ignition, gasification, thermochemical preparation for burning and combined processing of coals, are presented, results of realisation of plasma technologies of residual-oil-free (mazout) pulverised-coal boiler kindling, lighting of torch and stabilisation of luid slagging in furnaces with removal of fluid slag, are described.