• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.367-377
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• 2001

Plasma is generated by electrical discharge. Most plasma generation has been carried out at low-pressure gas typically less than one millionth of atmospheric pressure. Plasmas are in general generated from impact ionization of neutral gas molecules by accelerated electrons. The energy gain of electrons accelerated in an electrical field is proportional to the mean free path. Electrons gain more energy at low-pressure gas and generate plasma easily by ionization of neutrals, because the mean free path is longer. For this reason conventional plasma generation is carried out at low pressures. However, many practical applications require plasmas at high-pressure. In order to avoid the requirement for vacuum pumps, researchers in Korea start to develop plasmas in high-pressure chambers where the pressure is 1 atmosphere or greater. Material processing, environmental protection/restoration and improved energy production efficiency using plasmas are only possible for inexpensive bulk plasmas. We thus generate plasmas by new methods and plan to set foundations for new plasma technologies for $21^{st}$ / century industries. This technological research will play a central role in material processing, environmental and energy production industries.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.117-138
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• 2006

Plasmas can be made by electrical discharge on earth. Most of the plasmas on earth have been generated in low pressure environments where the pressure is less than one millionth of the atmospheric pressure. However, there are many plasma applications which require high pressure plasmas. Therefore, scientists start research on plasma generation at high pressure to avoid use of expensive vacuum equipments. Large-volume inexpensive plasmas are needed in the areas of material processing, environmental protection and improvement, efficient energy source and applications, etc. We therefore developed new methods of plasma generations at high pressure and carried out research of applying these plasmas to high tech industries representing 21 century. These research fields will play pivotal roles in material, environmental and energy science and technology in future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.268-268
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• 2012

Atmospheric pressure microwave induced plasmas are used to excite and ionize chemical species for elemental analysis, for plasma reforming, and for plasma surface treatment. Microwave plasma differs significantly from other plasmas and has several interesting properties. For example, the electron density is higher in microwave plasma than in radio-frequency (RF) or direct current (DC) plasma. Several types of radical species with high density are generated under high electron density, so the reactivity of microwave plasma is expected to be very high [1]. Therefore, useful applications of atmospheric pressure microwave plasmas are expected. The surface characteristics of SUS304 stainless steel are investigated before and after surface modification by microwave plasma under atmospheric pressure conditions. The plasma device was operated by power sources with microwave frequency. We used a device based on a coaxial transmission line resonator (CTLR). The atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) in the case of microwave frequency (880 MHz) used Ar as plasma gas [2]. Typical microwave Pw was 3-10 W. To determine the optimal processing conditions, the surface treatment experiments were performed using various values of Pw (3-10 W), treatment time (5-120 s), and ratios of mixture gas (hydrogen peroxide). Torch-to-sample distance was fixed at the plasma edge point. Plasma treatment of a stainless steel plate significantly affected the wettability, contact angle (CA), and free energy (mJ/$m^2$) of the SUS304 surface. CA and ${\gamma}$ were analyzed. The optimal surface modification parameters to modify were a power of 10 W, a treatment time of 45 s, and a hydrogen peroxide content of 0.6 wt% [3]. Under these processing conditions, a CA of just $9.8^{\circ}$ was obtained. As CA decreased, wettability increased; i.e. the surface changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. From these results, 10 W power and 45 s treatment time are the best values to minimize CA and maximize ${\gamma}$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.101-112
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• 2016

The characteristic analysis and fundamental test of a plasma generator is performed for drag reduction of a high speed vehicle. In high pressures, thermal plasmas is suitable for generating plasmas. The appropriate plasma torch is selected and used to generate thermal plasmas. The plasma torch, which can emit high-speed and high-pressure plasma jet, is suitable for generating plasma counterflow jet. In this study, the fundamental test and analysis for the plasma torch is summarized. Results show that supplying gas pressures and electrode gap of plasma torch are considered as critical parameters for generating plasma jets.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.220-225
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• 2004

Four different Fluorine-based gases ($SF_6/,NF_3, PF_5,\; and \; BF_3$) were examined for high rate Inductively Coupled Plasma etching of Si. Etch rates up to ~8$\mu\textrm{m}$/min were achieved with pure $SF_6$ discharges at high source power (1500 W) and pressure (35 mTorr). A direct comparison of the four feedstock gases under the same plasma conditions showed the Si etch rate to increase in the order $BF_3$ < $NF_3$< $PF_5$ < $SF_6$. This is in good correlation with the average bond energies of the gases, except for $NF_3$, which is the least strongly bound. Optical emission spectroscopy showed that the ICP source efficiently dissociated $NF_3$, but the etched Si surface morphologies were significantly worse with this gas than with the other 3 gases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.579-579
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• 2013

We study on Argon metastable and 4p state neutral atom density in magnetized ICP Helicon plasmas by Laser Induced Fluorescence and plasma emission. The results show that metastable density is too low at the center of chamber due to significant neutral depletion. Otherwise, 4p state is high at the center of chamber because electron density is very high. Power and pressure dependence of metastable and 4p state neutral atom have been spatially measured in the radial direction of cylindrical chamber.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1995.11a
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• pp.435-437
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• 1995

It is important to understand tile behaviours of tile high pressure DC glow discharge with a micro gap inside a pixel of the plasmas display panel. We prepared a narrow gap discharge system and have measured electron temperature and density by means of double probe methods in high pressure which was between 100torr and 200torr. And the electrode gap was 7mm. When the pressure varied from 100torr to 200torr, the negative glow was created at a distance less than 1mm from the cathode. And the length of the faraday dark space decreased from 8mm to 5mm. Hence probe measurements was mainly, performed in the region of the Faraday dark space. The dependence of electron temperature and density on the pressure and current density was same with that of the general flow discharge, i.e. as the pressure increased the electron temperature decreased and the density increased. But the spatial electron density distribution in the Faraday dark space was highly distorted because of the effect of high pressure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.498-498
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• 2013

Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas have pioneered a new field of plasma for biomedical application bridging plasma physics and biology. Biological and medical applications of plasmas have attracted considerable attention due to promising applications in medicine such as electro-surgery, dentistry, skin care and sterilization of heat-sensitive medical instruments [1]. Traditional approaches using electronic devices have limits in heating, high voltage shock, and high current shock for patients. It is a great demand for plasma medical industrial acceptance that the plasma generation device should be compact, inexpensive, and safe for patients. Microwave-excited micro-plasma has the highest feasibility compared with other types of plasma sources since it has the advantages of low power, low voltage, safety from high-voltage shock, electromagnetic compatibility, and long lifetime due to the low energy of striking ions [2]. Recent experiment [2] shows three-log reduction within 180-s treatment of S. mutans with a low-power palm-size microwave power module for biomedical application. Experiments using microwave plasma are discussed. This low-power palm-size microwave power module board includes a power amplifier (PA) chip, a phase locked loop (PLL) chip, and an impedance matching network. As it has been a success, more compact-size module is needed for the portability of microwave devices and for the various medical applications of microwave plasma source. For the plasma generator, a 1.35-GHz coaxial transmission line resonator (CTLR) [3] is used. The way of reducing the size and enhancing the performances of the module is examined.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.2506-2511
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• 2007

The coupled simulation is performed to find out the interaction of arc plasmas with surrounding materials in a thermal puffer plasma chamber. In order to be more realistic, PTFE nozzle ablation and Cu electrode evaporation, which are caused by high temperature of arc plasmas, are considered together. Pressure rise and temperature inside the chamber generated during the whole arcing history are investigated with the applied currents. It is very important to define how thermal flow and mass transfer are processing between the arc plasma and surrounding materials for further understanding complex physics inside the chamber. It is concluded that the result might be very useful to understand the mechanism happened inside and to design thermal puffer plasma chambers, but further experimental studies are required to verify the results for the more practical applications.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.73 no.10
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• pp.1519-1528
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• 2018

The objective of the present study is the development of a comprehensive air chemical kinetic model that includes 11 species and 54 chemical reactions for the numerical investigation of air nonequilibrium inductively coupled plasmas. The two-dimensional, compressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the electromagnetic-field equations were employed to describe the fundamental characteristics of an inductive plasma. Dunn-Kangs 32 chemical-reaction model of air was reconstructed and used as a comparative model. The effects of the different chemical kinetic models on the flow field were analyzed and discussed at identical/different working pressures. The results theoretically indicate that no matter the working pressure is low or high, the use of the 54 chemical kinetic model presented in this study is a better choice for the numerical simulation of a nonequilibrium air ICP.