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Plasma parameter analysis during nano-crystalline diamond growth using automated langmuir probe
Author(s)
Date Issued
January 1, 2015
Type
Article
Abstract
The present work addresses an important issue in micro- and nano-crystalline diamond (MCD/NCD) synthesized in microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition system (MPCVD) which is the real-time monitoring of plasma parameters during the growth process. A computer controlled bipolar source-meter instrument was setup as a voltage source for the electrostatic Langmuir probe current measurement. Algorithms have been developed to obtain plasma parameters including plasma potential, density and temperature from the measurement in real-time. The accuracy of the automated algorithm was determined using simulated plasma characteristic data based on Maxwellian's distribution with one single electron temperature. In the analysis of the actual experimentally data acquired during typical gas discharges, the algorithms performed well and yield parameters values with good agreement to the values obtained by other non real-time methods. Utilizing the automated probe during the MCD/NCD growth process, the real-time analytical results show a splitting of two electron populations. The co-existence of two electron temperatures in the MCD/NCD MPCVD growth process reported here has not been previously investigated.
Citation
Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 12(5), 894-900, 2015