Neutral Flux Research Articles

Etching of GeSe2 chalcogenide glass and its pulsed laser deposited thin films in SF6, SF6/Ar and SF6/O2 plasmas

Excited species, reactive neutral species and positive ions, produced during the etching of Ge, Se and GeSe2 targets in inductively coupled plasmas, were identified by means of mass spectrometry (MS) and optical emission spectroscopy. The surface of etched Ge39Se61 thin films were analyzed thanks to in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and compared with those of Ge and Se etched samples. In 100% SF6, the successive adsorption of fluorine atoms forms SeF x (x = 2, 4, 6) and GeF x (x = 2, 4) stable and volatile products, generating a surface with few residues as interpreted with in situ XPS. The identification of SSe (x = 2, 3, 7) ions confirms that sulfur atoms play a role during the etching of Se-containing materials. A 0D kinetic model predicted the evolution of reactive neutral fluxes, ion fluxes and plasma parameters (T e and n e) in SF6/Ar plasmas. It was found that the SeF6 and GeF4 concentrations, through Se and Ge MS signals, were related to the fluorine atom flux. In SF6/O2, the simultaneous effect of fluorine and oxygen adsorption induces (Se) x –Ge–R 4−x environments (R = F, O) at the surface of the Ge39Se61 thin films.

Resolving the fast ion distribution from imaging neutral particle analyzer measurements

A recently developed imaging neutral particle analyzer (INPA) on the DIII-D tokamak (Du 2018 Nucl. Fusion 58 082006) enables fast ion velocity-space tomography of high fidelity at the interrogated phase space. To accomplish this, the spatial and energy depending fast (E < 80 keV) neutral flux towards the INPA stripping foils is calculated with FIDASIM and a newly developed code INPASIM simulates the INPA instrumental response to this neutral flux. Included in INPASIM is the neutral-foil interaction, the Larmor orbit tracing between the foil and the phosphor, the phosphor response to the incident ion flux as well as camera focusing. Benefiting from heavy, localized velocity-space weights and excellent signal to noise, computed tomography using the Ridge regression method is able to successfully reconstruct fine-scale velocity-space structures produced by multiple neutral beams separated by as small as ∼3 keV in tests. Applying the inversion method to a sawtooth crash event reveals a significant profile flattening of confined passing particles across q = 1 flux surface, as well as a redistribution of fast ions into the trapped orbits at the plasma edge close to the last closed flux surface.

Observation of Alfvén Eigenmodes driven by off-axis neutral beam injection in the TCV tokamak

Fast-particle driven Alfvén Eigenmodes have been observed in low-collisionality discharges with off-axis neutral beam injection (NBI), electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) and a reduced toroidal magnetic field. During NBI and ECRH, toroidicity induced Alfvén Eigenmodes (TAEs) appear in frequency bands close to 200 kHz and energetic-particle-induced geodesic acoustic modes (EGAMs) are observed at about 40 and 80 kHz. When turning off ECRH in the experiment, those beam-driven modes disappear which can be explained by a modification of the fast-ion slowing down distribution. In contrast, coherent fluctuations close to the frequency of the beam-driven TAEs are present throughout the experiment. The modes are even observed during ohmic plasma conditions, which clearly demonstrates that they are not caused by fast particles and suggests an alternative drive, such as turbulence. The mode-induced fast-ion transport has been found to be weak and marginal in terms of the fast-ion diagnostic sensitivities. Measurements of the plasma stored energy, neutron rates, neutral particle fluxes and fast-ion D-alpha spectroscopy show good agreement with neoclassical modelling results from TRANSP. This is further supported by a similarly good agreement between measurement and modelling in cases with and without ECRH and therefore with and without the modes. Instead, a significant level of charge exchange losses are predicted and observed which generate a bump-on-tail fast-ion distribution function that can provide the necessary free energy to EGAMs.

Self-sustained divertor oscillations in ASDEX Upgrade

Alternating radiation phenomena between the inner and outer divertor regions in the sub kHz range are investigated in the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade. While the inner divertor oscillates between the onset and fluctuating state of detachment, the outer divertor oscillates between conditions where it can maintain high recycling conditions or not. The detachment state of the inner divertor determines the magnitude of the neutral flux through the private flux region, thus sets the recycling conditions at the outer divertor. In return these recycling conditions determine the particle content in the divertor, hence the detachment state at the inner divertor.

Effect of substrate bias on microstructure of epitaxial film grown by HiPIMS: An atomistic simulation

The authors explore the combination of high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and substrate bias for the epitaxial growth of the Cu film on the Cu (111) substrate by molecular dynamics simulation. A fully ionized deposition flux was used to represent the high ionization fraction in the HiPIMS process. To mimic different substrate bias, the authors assumed the deposition flux with a flat energy distribution in the low, moderate, and high energy ranges. The authors also compared the results of the fully ionized flux with results assuming a completely neutral flux, in analogy with thermal evaporation. It is confirmed that in the low energy regime, HiPIMS presents a slightly smoother surface and more interface mixing compared to that of thermal evaporation. In the moderate energy HiPIMS, however, an atomically smooth surface was obtained with a slight increase in the interface mixing compared to low energy HiPIMS. In the high energy regime, HiPIMS presents severe interface mixing with a smooth surface but limited growth due to resputtering from the surface. The results also indicate that fewer crystal defects appear in the film for moderate energy HiPIMS. The authors attribute this behavior to the repetition frequency of collision events. In particular, the high energy HiPIMS suffers from high repetition of collision events that does not allow the reconstruction of the film. While in the low energy HiPIMS, there are not enough events to overcome the island growth. At moderate energy, collision events repeat in a manner that provides enough time for reconstruction, which results in a smooth surface, fewer defects, and limited intermixing.

Neutral leakage, power dissipation and pedestal fueling in open vs closed divertors

The effect of divertor closure on neutral leakage, power dissipation and pedestal fueling is investigated using the SOLPS code for different densities including attached and detached divertor conditions for DIII-D open and closed divertors. In this work, a metric for divertor closure in terms of the percentage of neutrals escaping the divertor is presented. At the detachment onset the population of neutrals escaping the divertor is 12% for the closed divertor and 35% for the open divertor. This results in a lower contribution of the convective term to the total heat flux and increased power losses in the closed divertor. The comparison between the two geometries reveals that for the same upstream density, the upstream temperature is 23% higher in the closed divertor. The physical mechanisms for detachment at lower upstream density in the closed divertor are also identified with the reduction of the convective term directly resulting in 40% decrease and the increased power losses contributing with a factor of 2. The baffling also lowers the neutral flux refueling the pedestal resulting in further reduction of the core density for achieving detachment. The results presented here show that the divertor recycling is the primary fueling mechanism in DIII-D. It is shown that fueling occurring in the region between the X-point and the outer midplane is at least four times lower in the closed divertor due the baffling structure which enhances target neutral trapping and consequently reduced upstream leakage. Due to the openness of the inner leg to the common flux and HFS regions both open and closed divertor experience almost identical fueling at the HFS highlighting the need to also consider the inboard divertor for shape optimization.

Energetic Neutral Atom Flux from the Inner Heliosheath and Its Connection to Termination Shock Properties

Abstract We present statistical comparisons between energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes obtained using a global simulation of the heliosphere and data collected by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft. The simulation of the inner heliosheath (IHS) ENA flux is based on a 3D steady-state heliosphere, while the data are from the IBEX-Hi instrument over the time period 2009–2015. The statistical comparison is performed by calculating the chi-square value between the simulated ENA fluxes and the data for each line of sight in the sky. A comparison with exposure-averaged data for solar minimum and solar maximum conditions is also performed to see the effect of solar wind (SW) properties on the IHS ENA fluxes. The model matches well with the data in the flanks and parts of the nose of the heliosphere, whereas the match is poor in the downwind tail, ribbon, and polar regions. We interpret these results to mean that (i) heliosheath plasma in the polar region consists of advected fast (or slow) SW during the solar minimum (or maximum) condition, and (ii) heliospheric termination shock parameters are likely different over the poles. A poor match at around 30° north and south of the downwind direction is likely due to the existence of a mixture of plasma that comes from fast and slow SW. While our results are consistent with a single heliotail, the shape of the heliosphere continues to be an area of active research, and more data and further modeling are needed to determine its true structure.

Impact of divertor configuration on recycling neutral fluxes for ITER-like wall in JET H-mode plasmas

In recent years it has been well known that in JET, with the ITER-like wall, the performance of high-power H-mode plasmas depends strongly on the magnetic topology of the divertor. This is generally attributed to the effect of the magnetic field shaping on the neutral flux transport and pumping, which—in high density H-mode plasmas—determine the pedestal properties and the global confinement. In this work we have analysed the spatial distribution and the dynamic behaviour of the Dα-emission for different magnetic configurations. Experimental observations indicate that for certain configurations, the surface temperature and the Dα—emission anomalously increase on top of the inner divertor, which points to thermal outgassing there. This is also the region where most beryllium co-deposits accumulate and most deuterium becomes trapped. The overheating at this region far from the strike point (SP) is observed to happen in magnetic configurations with reduced distance between the divertor material surface and the separatrix (clearance). The neutral flux that appears at the upper inner divertor during a few milliseconds after the ELM-crash, is more than an order of magnitude larger than the gas puffing rate and dominates over all other regions. Finally, a preliminary study describes how this thermal fuel outgassing from the co-deposited layers could be used intentionally as a wall-conditioning in JET technique with plasmas that focus their particle and heat flux there. This could be used as a complementary wall isotope control technique and more specifically for tritium recovery from the upper inner divertor where most fuel-trapping beryllium co-deposits accumulate in JET ITER-like wall.

The ion kinetics at the wafer edge by the variation of geometry and permittivity of the focus ring in capacitively coupled discharges

The change of the ion transport is investigated with the variation of the focus ring property at the wafer edge of a capacitively coupled plasma under an intermediate pressure of a few Torr. The particle fluxes and the ion trajectories at different locations are investigated with the variations of the gap size between the wafer edge and the focus ring, the focus ring height, and the permittivity of the focus ring. The incident angle and the particle fluxes to the wafer edge increase with the gap size. Conversely, the particle fluxes to the wafer edge decrease with the increase in the focus ring height. The incident angle of ions still keeps normal to the surface at the wafer edge, but on the left side of the focus ring, it increases dramatically with the increase in the focus ring height. With the change of the permittivity of the focus ring, it is possible to control the ratio of the ion flux to the neutral flux on the focus ring surface by enhancing only the ion flux independently.

A numerical analysis of a microwave induced coaxial surface wave discharge fed with a mixture of oxygen and hexamethyldisiloxane for the purpose of deposition

A microwave induced coaxial surface wave discharge with a feeding gas mixture of oxygen and hexamethyldisiloxane used for the deposition of polymer coatings is numerically analysed by a volume-averaged zero-dimensional modelling formalism. A set of edge-to-centre ratios are analytically estimated for a self-consistent description of the positive ion and reactive neutral flux at the radial walls (Kemaneci et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 245203). The simulation results are compared with the measurements of a wide variety of distinct particle concentrations as well as of the electron temperature and an agreement is obtained with respect to the input power, the pressure and the oxygen to hexamethyldisiloxane flow ratios. The net charge density is dominated by Si2OC5H with a negligible degree of electronegativity. Hexamethyldisiloxane is fragmented into methyl radical via the electron impact dissociation and the dissociative ionization. Large amounts of hydrocarbons, water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen molecules are produced. A significant portion of the net hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide production rates is formed by the emission from the solid surfaces due to the hydrogen and oxygen atom flux. The essential roles of C3H9SiO molecules and Si2OC5H ions on the deposition process are verified.

Heliosheath Properties Measured from a Voyager 2 to Voyager 1 Transient

Abstract In mid-2012, a global merged interaction region (GMIR) observed by Voyager 2 crossed through the heliosheath and collided with the heliopause, generating a pressure pulse that propagated into the very local interstellar medium. The effects of the transmitted wave were seen by Voyager 1 just 93 days after its own heliopause crossing. The passage of the transient was accompanied by long-lasting decreases in Galactic cosmic ray intensities that occurred from ∼2012.55 to ∼2013.35 and ∼2012.91 to ∼2013.70 at Voyager 2 and Voyager 1, respectively. Omnidirectional (≳20 MeV) proton-dominated measurements from each spacecraft’s Cosmic Ray Subsystem reveal a remarkable similarity between these causally related events, with a correlation coefficient of 91.2% and a time lag of 130 days. Knowing the locations of the two spacecraft, we use the observed time delay to calculate the GMIR’s average speed through the heliosheath (inside the heliopause) as a function of temperature in the very local interstellar medium. This, combined with particle, field, and plasma observations, enables us to infer previously unmeasured properties of the heliosheath, including a range of sound speeds and total effective pressures. For a nominal temperature of ∼20,000 K just outside the heliopause, we find a sound speed of 314 ± 32 km s−1 and total effective pressure of 267 ± 55 fPa inside the heliopause. We compare these results with the Interstellar Boundary Explorer’s data-driven models of heliosheath pressures derived from energetic neutral atom fluxes (the globally distributed flux) and present them as additional evidence that the heliosheath’s dynamics are driven by suprathermal energetic processes.

Formation mechanisms of etched feature profiles during Si etching in Cl2/O2 plasmas

Feature profiles of poly-Si etched in Cl2/O2 plasmas have been analyzed through a mechanistic comparison between experiments and simulations. The emphasis was placed on a comprehensive understanding of the formation mechanisms for profile anomalies of tapering, microtrenching, and footing (or corner rounding near the feature bottom). Experiments were conducted in a commercial etching reactor with ultra-high-frequency plasmas by varying O2 percentage, wafer stage temperature, rf bias power, and feed gas pressure. Simulations of the feature profile evolution were done by using a semiempirical, atomic-scale cellular model based on the Monte Carlo method that we have developed. The experiments indicated that sidewall profiles become more tapered with increasing O2 addition to Cl2 plasmas, while microtrenching and footing are pronounced in pure Cl2 plasma, being suppressed with increasing O2. A comparison with the simulations indicated that the tapered profiles are caused by the deposition of etch products/by-products on feature sidewalls from the plasma, being enhanced with increasing oxygen flux (due to synergistic effects between deposition of products/by-products and surface oxidation) and being reduced with increasing ion energy and neutral reactant flux. On the other hand, the footing is attributed to the redeposition of etch products on sidewalls from the feature bottom being etched, being reduced with increasing oxygen flux, ion energy, and neutral reactant flux. Microtrenching is caused by the ion reflection from feature sidewalls on incidence, being reduced with increasing oxygen flux (partly due to surface oxidation of the feature bottom) and being enhanced and then reduced with increasing ion energy and neutral reactant flux. The tapering, footing, and microtrenching were found to be closely related to each other: the footing near the feature bottom fades away under conditions of increased tapering of sidewalls, and the microtrenching is affected significantly by the degree of footing as well as the taper angle of the sidewalls.

Variability in the Position of the IBEX Ribbon over Nine Years: More Observational Evidence for a Secondary ENA Source

Abstract The ribbon of enhanced energetic neutral atom flux, discovered by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) in 2009, has redefined our understanding of the heliosphere’s interaction with the local interstellar medium (LISM). Yet, its origin continues to be a topic of scientific debate. The ribbon is circular and traces the region where the putative LISM magnetic field (B LISM) is perpendicular to the radial direction from the Sun. Using nine years of IBEX-Hi observations, we investigate the ribbon circularity and location as functions of time and energy. We provide updated locations of the ribbon center at five energy passbands (centered at 0.7, 1.1, 1.7, 2.7, and 4.3 keV) in ecliptic coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [217.°41 ± 0.°95, 44.°36 ± 0.°93], [219.°72 ± 0.°95, 41.°50 ± 0.°87], [220.°51 ± 1.°19, 39.°96 ± 1.°00], [218.°08 ± 1.°66, 38.°44 ± 1.°24], and [214.°68 ± 1.°48, 34.°13 ± 1.°19] respectively. The weighted mean center location over all energies and all years is [218.°33 ± 0.°68, 40.°38 ± 0.°88] and its radius is 74.°81 ± 0.°65. As viewed by IBEX at 1 au, we find that (1) the ribbon is stable over time, with distinct centers at each energy; (2) ribbon centers exhibit small temporal variations, likely caused by the solar wind (SW) speed and density variations; and (3) ribbon location in the sky appears to be driven by (i) the inherent alignment of the ribbon centers along the plane connecting the presumed B LISM and the heliospheric upwind direction, and (ii) the variable SW structure along the heliographic meridian, further emphasizing that the ribbon source is outside the heliosphere.

VENM: An Algorithm to Accurately Calculate Neutral Slopes and Gradients.

Mesoscale eddies stir along the neutral plane, and the resulting neutral diffusion is a fundamental aspect of subgrid‐scale tracer transport in ocean models. Calculating neutral diffusion traditionally involves calculating neutral slopes and three‐dimensional tracer gradients. The calculation of the neutral slope traditionally occurs by computing the ratio of the horizontal to vertical locally referenced potential density derivative. However, this approach is problematic in regions of weak vertical stratification, prompting the use of a variety of ad hoc regularization methods that can lead to rather nonphysical dependencies for the resulting neutral tracer gradients. Here we use a VErtical Non‐local Method “VENM,” a search algorithm that requires no ad hoc regularization and significantly improves the numerical accuracy of calculating neutral slopes, neutral tracer gradients, and associated neutral diffusive fluxes. We compare and contrast VENM against a more traditional method, using an independent objective neutrality condition combined with estimates of spurious diffusion, heat transport, and water mass transformation rates. VENM is more accurate, both physically and numerically, and should form the basis for future efforts involving neutral diffusion calculations from observations and possibly numerical model simulations.

FORESAIL‐1 CubeSat Mission to Measure Radiation Belt Losses and Demonstrate Deorbiting

AbstractToday, the near‐Earth space is facing a paradigm change as the number of new spacecraft is literally skyrocketing. Increasing numbers of small satellites threaten the sustainable use of space, as without removal, space debris will eventually make certain critical orbits unusable. A central factor affecting small spacecraft health and leading to debris is the radiation environment, which is unpredictable due to an incomplete understanding of the near‐Earth radiation environment itself and its variability driven by the solar wind and outer magnetosphere. This paper presents the FORESAIL‐1 nanosatellite mission, having two scientific and one technological objectives. The first scientific objective is to measure the energy and flux of energetic particle loss to the atmosphere with a representative energy and pitch angle resolution over a wide range of magnetic local times. To pave the way to novel model‐in situ data comparisons, we also show preliminary results on precipitating electron fluxes obtained with the new global hybrid‐Vlasov simulation Vlasiator. The second scientific objective of the FORESAIL‐1 mission is to measure energetic neutral atoms of solar origin. The solar energetic neutral atom flux has the potential to contribute importantly to the knowledge of solar eruption energy budget estimations. The technological objective is to demonstrate a satellite deorbiting technology, and for the first time, make an orbit maneuver with a propellantless nanosatellite. FORESAIL‐1 will demonstrate the potential for nanosatellites to make important scientific contributions as well as promote the sustainable utilization of space by using a cost‐efficient deorbiting technology.

The Use of Interplanetary Medium as Fuel for Plasma Thrusters

Consuming long-range interplanetary medium as a fuel for driving plasma thrust is crucial. The methods of capturing the space environment depending on its density and the ship velocity are critical issues. The possible ways of creating ionization for neutral fluxes as a function of the solar radiation flux are also analyzed as a potential propellant. These processes define the permissible type of the plasma source. These options look extremely promising where a low thrust device continuously operating, could possibly deliver a celestial target close to the speed of light. Under such conditions at a considerable distance, the density of such material diminishes and it may be impossible to maintain a continuous operation mode of the plasma thruster but instead operate as a pulsed engine which might potentially be workable.

Dynamic modeling of carbon nanofiber growth in strong electric fields via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition is an important method in the synthesis of carbon nanofibers which have been widely used in many technologies. Previous work devoted to the theoretical modeling of this process focused only on kinetics, i.e., the steady-state growth rate and its dependence on experimental conditions. This paper develops a dynamic model of a single carbon nanofiber grown in the cathode layer of a weakly ionized C2H2 glow discharge plasma. The model takes into account all main processes, including chemical kinetics, heat transfer, and the dynamics of electric field distribution. Specifically, the model considers the effects of a strong electric field on nanofiber growth: the field enhanced neutral particle flux and heat flux toward the catalyst and the increased catalyst temperature as a result of the thermal field emission current (along with its accompanying Nottingham effect). Numerical simulation shows that the increased fluxes caused by a strong electric field are unlikely to lead to a substantial acceleration of nanofiber growth. The growth tends to saturate, up to a complete stop, caused by the catalyst heating, which starts around the same time the field enhanced fluxes become significant. This serves as an alternate termination mechanism of nanofiber growth to the commonly-known catalyst poisoning. The competition and transition of the two mechanisms when changing the characteristic time of catalyst poisoning are shown. The results of this work help to improve the physical understanding of nanofiber growth and lay the foundation for further studies on other types of plasma-assisted nanofabrication.

The effect of neutrals in the new SAS divertor at DIII-D as modelled by SOLPS

Abstract SOLPS5.1 modelling of first detachment experiments carried out in the new Small Angle Slot (SAS) divertor recently installed at DIII-D has indicated a significant reduction in Te at the strike point compared to a matched open divertor case for a given separatrix density. The SAS divertor combines a gas-tight slot geometry with a small target angle to bootstrap power and momentum dissipation of recycling neutrals with the goal of achieving simultaneous control of heat flux and erosion at relatively low plasma density required for non-inductive current drive in future steady-state tokamaks. The changes in the neutral ballistics influenced by the combination of closure and small angle target, result in a build-up of the neutral density in the slot, which promotes volumetric losses and facilitates detachment. Variations in the strike point location within the slot reveal a strong dependence of divertor cooling on the strike point location. This is due to the fact that by changing the strike point location, the region where the neutral leakage takes place is varied, thus affecting detachment. The results presented in this paper highlight the importance of controlling the neutral recycling flux to facilitate power dissipation.

Total ALFALFA Neutral Hydrogen Fluxes for Extended Sources

Abstract A procedure is presented to improve on measurement of total H i fluxes for extended sources in the Arecibo Legacy Fast Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFALFA) survey of neutral hydrogen sources in the nearby universe. A number of tests of the procedure are detailed, and we verify that we recover all of the flux measured with much larger telescope beams. Total fluxes are reported for all sources (1) exceeding 10 Jy km s−1 in the α.100 catalog, or (2) with Uppsala General Catalog diameters 3.0 arcmin or more, or (3) ALFALFA pipeline isophotal ellipse area more than 3.0 times the Arecibo beam. Total fluxes are also provided for a number of confused pairs and small groups including one or more of those high-flux sources. These data should be of use in baryonic Tully–Fisher studies and other applications where the measurement of the total reservoir of neutral atomic gas is important.

Abnormal characteristics of etched profile on thick dielectrics for MEMS in inductively coupled plasma

We present a study that shows the independent influence of abnormal ion trajectories in the etched hole profile on thick dielectrics used in micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) fabrication under fluorocarbon plasma. Under fixed neutral and ion fluxes, a simple dielectric block located on the chuck electrode can control the plasma molding effect, thus creating non-symmetric incidence ion angles. Changes in nanoscale etching profiles with variations in the plasma molding effect were obtained to investigate the quantitative effects of abnormal incidence ion angles under fixed plasma conditions. We found no significant changes in abnormal etching behavior with variation in the size of the nanoscale hole. We believe that this approach will be an effective method to support quantitative data of predictive modeling for the better understanding of abnormal plasma etching behavior in nanoscale device fabrications.