Abstract
Many different gas discharges and plasmas exhibit bistable states under a given set of conditions, and the history-dependent hysteresis that is manifested by intensive quantities of the system upon variation of an external parameter has been observed in inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs). When the external parameters (such as discharge powers) increase, the plasma density increases suddenly from a low- to high-density mode, whereas decreasing the power maintains the plasma in a relatively high-density mode, resulting in significant hysteresis. To date, a comprehensive description of plasma hysteresis and a physical understanding of the main mechanism underlying their bistability remain elusive, despite many experimental observations of plasma bistability conducted under radio-frequency ICP excitation. This fundamental understanding of mode transitions and hysteresis is essential and highly important in various applied fields owing to the widespread use of ICPs, such as semiconductor/display/solar-cell processing (etching, deposition, and ashing), wireless light lamp, nanostructure fabrication, nuclear-fusion operation, spacecraft propulsion, gas reformation, and the removal of hazardous gases and materials. If, in such applications, plasma undergoes a mode transition and hysteresis occurs in response to external perturbations, the process result will be strongly affected. Due to these reasons, this paper comprehensively reviews both the current knowledge in the context of the various applied fields and the global understanding of the bistability and hysteresis physics in the ICPs. At first, the basic understanding of the ICP is given. After that, applications of ICPs to various applied fields of nano/environmental/energy-science are introduced. Finally, the mode transition and hysteresis in ICPs are studied in detail. This study will show the fundamental understanding of hysteresis physics in plasmas and give open possibilities for applications to various applied fields to find novel control knob and optimizing processing conditions.
Highlights
Many different gas discharges and plasmas exhibit bistable states under a given set of conditions, and the history-dependent hysteresis that is manifested by intensive quantities of the system upon variation of an external parameter has been observed in inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs)
Many studies have exploited the synergetic effect in ICPs to fabricate nanostructure materials
Many studies have exploited the synergetic effect in ICPs to fabricate nanostructure materials, such as vertically aligned single-crystalline nanostructure applicable to solar cells, readily controllable, and catalystfree graphene synthesis at low temperatures, etc
Summary
This review, which describes nano-applications and bistable hysteresis physics of the ICPs, consists of three parts: Sec. There have been a number of applications of the ICP, such as industrial plasma processing for memory-device fabrication, plasma propulsion for spacecraft and satellite, nanostructure fabrication, and environmental/energy science applications ICPs have become widely used in various fields (nanostructure fabrication in the nano/bio sciences, nuclear-fusion operation, spacecraft propulsion, and plasma torches for gas reforming and the removal of hazardous gases and materials) beyond industrial plasma processing for memory-device fabrication. Conclusions and outlook are given in last part, and studies on the hysteresis and bistability in such plasmas (ICP) should help to deepen the fundamental understanding of hysteresis physics in plasmas and to open possibilities for applications
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