Plasma dynamics of individual HiPIMS pulses: imaging study using high-frame-rate camera

Abstract

A high-frame-rate camera with microsecond-level time resolution was used to make systematic investigations of plasma self-organization and spoke dynamics during individual HiPIMS pulses. The plasma was imaged for a range of argon pressures (0.25–2 Pa) and peak discharge currents (10–400 A) using an Al target. The experiments revealed that plasma evolves through three characteristic stages as the discharge current increases. In stage I, which is present from the current onset and up to ∼25 A, spokes are azimuthally long and rotate in the −Ez × B direction. The spoke behavior is similar to the one observed in DCMS discharges. The number of spokes depends on pressure and the current growth rate. At the lowest pressure (0.25 Pa) a single spoke is present in discharge, while at higher pressures (1–2 Pa) two spokes are most often observed. The spoke velocity depends on the number of spokes, current growth rate and pressure. A single spoke rotates with velocities in the 4–15 km s−1 range, while two spokes rotate in the 1–9 km s−1 range depending on the pressure and growth rate. Following stage I, the plasma undergoes a complex reorganization that is characterized by aperiodic spoke patterns and irregular dynamics. In stage II spokes are less localized, they merge, split and propagate either in the retrograde or prograde direction. After chaotic plasma reorganization, more ordered spoke patterns begin to form. Spokes in stage III are azimuthally shorter, typically exhibit a triangular shape and rotate in the Ez × B direction. In general, the spoke dynamics is less complicated and is only influenced by the pressure. Spokes rotate faster at higher pressures than at lower ones; velocities range from 9 km s−1 at 0.25 Pa to 6 km s−1 at 2 Pa. The spoke velocity in stage III is largely unaffected by the discharge current or number of spokes. Stage III can be further divided into sub-stages, which are characterized by different current growth rates, spoke sizes and shapes. In general, the spoke evolution is highly reproducible for pulses with similar discharge current waveforms.