Self-sustaining thin films as a means of reducing first wall erosion and plasma impurity influx

Abstract

Neutral impurities ejected from Tokamak wall and limiter surfaces may travel several cm before being ionized very quickly upon entering the plasma edge. The influence of the unipolar sheath potential is exerted only within a very short distance of the surface and has no effect on neutral impurity atoms which are subsequently ionized by charge-exchange collisions or electron impact ionization. However, secondary ions emanating from the limiter surfaces with kinetic energies less than the sheath potential will have essentially zero probability of traveling more than a few Debye lengths before being redeposited. Similarly, secondary ions originating at the first wall are redeposited as a result of the deflection produced by the magnetic field. Impurity influx resulting from sputtering would therefore be substantially reduced for surfaces which produce a very high ion/neutral ratio when sputtered. It has been previously shown that the high secondary ion yield associated with the alkali metal potassium does not apply to the bulk metal but pertains to ionic compounds and thin (mono-layer) films. Two processes are discussed as a means of producing these films in a self-sustaining manner compatible with the fusion reactor environment.