Development of voids in pulsed and CW- driven reactive plasmas with large nanoparticle density

Abstract

This contribution deals with the nanoparticle distribution inside of plasma with large nanoparticle density. In particular, the formation of voids i.e. dust-free regions in pulsed and CW discharge regime is analyzed. The discharge was ignited in a mixture of argon and acetylene in the conditions favorable for nanoparticles’ formation and growth. The temporal evolution of the spatial distribution of nanoparticles during their growth is studied experimentally by means of a laser light scattering technique. The experimental results show that the void expands much faster in the case of pulsed plasma than in the CW plasma operated for the same gas mixture and at the same (average) input power. In the CW plasma, we observed a rapid expansion of the void after some tens of minutes, whereas the corresponding process in the pulsed plasma occurred after some tens of seconds.