• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.96-96
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• 2016

Nanotechnology mostly employs nano-materials and nano-structures with distinctive properties based on their size, structure, and composition. It is quite difficult to produce nano-materials and nano-structures with identical sizes, structures, and compositions in large quantities, because of spatiotemporal fluctuation of production processes. In other words, fluctuation is the bottleneck in nanotechnology. We propose three strategies to suppress such fluctuations: employing 1) difference between linear and nonlinear phenomena, 2) difference in time constants, and 3) nucleation as a bottleneck phenomenon. We are also developing nano- and micro-scale guided assembly using plasmas as a plasma nanofabrication.1-5) We manipulate nano- and micro-objects using electrostatic, electromagnetic, ion drag, neutral drag, and optical forces. The accuracy of positioning the objects depends on fluctuation of position and energy of an object in plasmas. Here we evaluate such fluctuations and discuss the mechanism behind them. We conducted in-situ evaluation of local plasma potential fluctuation using tracking analysis of fine particles (=objects) in plasmas. Experiments were carried out with a radio frequency low-pressure plasma reactor, where we set two quartz windows at the top and bottom of the reactor. Ar plasmas were generated at 200 Pa by applying 13.56MHz, 450V peak-to-peak voltage. The injected fine particles were monodisperse methyl methacrylate-polymer spheres of $10{\mu}m$ in diameter. Fine particles were injected into the reactor and were suspended around the plasma/sheath boundary near the powered electrode. We observed binary collision of fine particles with a high-speed camera. The frame rate was 1000-10000 fps. Time evolution of their distance from the center of mass was measured by tracking analysis of the two particles. Kinetic energy during the collision was obtained from the result. Potential energy formed between the two particles was deduced by assuming the potential energy plus the kinetic energy is constant. The interaction potential is fluctuated during the collision. Maximum amplitude of the fluctuation is 25eV, and the average is 8eV. The fluctuation can be caused by neutral molecule collisions, ion collisions, and fluctuation of electrostatic force. Among theses possible causes, fluctuation of electrostatic force may be main one, because the fine particle has a large negative charge of -17000e and the corresponding electrostatic force is large compared to other forces.

• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.589-596
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• 2019

Pigments with minute particle sizes, such as carbon black (CB) and pigment red 48:2 (P.R.48:2), are the most important types of pigment and have been widely used in many industrial applications. However, minute particles have large surface areas, high oil absorption and low surface energy. They therefore tend to be repellent to the vehicle and lose stability, resulting in significant increases in viscosity or reaggregation in the vehicle. Therefore, finding the best way to improve the dispersion properties of minute particle size pigments presents a major technical challenge. In this study, minute particle types of CB and P.R.48:2 were treated with nitrogen gas plasma generated via radio frequency-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) to increase the dispersion properties of minute particles in deionized (DI) water. The morphologies and particle sizes of untreated and plasma treated particles were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average distributions of particle size were measured using a laser particle sizer. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was carried out on the samples to identify changes in molecular interactions during plasma processing. The results of our analysis indicate that N2 plasma treatment is an effective method for improving the dispersibility of minute particles of pigment in DI water.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.275-281
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• 2001

We used the discrete-sectional model to analyze the particle growth by coagulation of particles in silane plasma reactor, considering the Gaussian distribution function for particle charges. The effects of process conditions such as monomer size and mass generation rate of monomers on particle growth in plasma reactor were analyzed theoretically/ Based on the Gaussian distribution function of particle charges, the large particles of more than 40 nm in size are almost found to be charged negatively, but some fractions of small, tiny particles are in neutral state or even charged positively. As the particle size and surface area increase with time by particle coagulation, the number of charges per particle increases with time. As the large particles are generated by particle coagulation, the particle size distribution become bimodal. The results of discrete-sectional model for the particle growth in silane plasma reactor were in close agreement with the experimental results by Shiratani et al. [3] for the same plasma conditions. We believe the model equations for the particle charge distribution and coagulation between particles can be applied to understand the nano-sized particle growth in plasma reactor.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.523-532
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• 1999

This study is aimed to obtain fundamental knowledge of pulse laser welding phenomena the authors investigated the structure and composition of evaporated particles of Al alloys in air and in the Ar atmosphere during pulsed laser welding. The ultra-fine particles of 5 to 100nm diameter in a globular or irregular shape were formed in laser-induced plasma and the main structure was $MgAl_2O_4$ The composition of particles was ifferent depending on the power density of a laser beam; namely under the low power density conditions magnesium was predominant in the parti-cles while aluminium content increased with an increase in the power density. These results were attributed to evaporation phenomena of metals with different boiling points and latent heats of vaporization. On the other hand the number density of laser-induced plasma species was obtained by Saha's equation. it was confirmed that the number density depends upon the plasma tempera-ture and total pressures.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.74-79
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• 2022

In this study, the plasma corrosion resistance and the change in the number of contamination particles generated using the plasma etching process and cleaning process of coating parts for semiconductor plasma etching equipment were investigated. As the coating method, atmospheric plasma spray (APS) was used, and the powder materials were Y₂O₃ and Y₃Al₅O₁₂ (YAG). There was a clear difference in the densities of the coatings due to the difference in solubility due to the melting point of the powdered material. As a plasma environment, a mixed gas of CF₄, O₂, and Ar was used, and the etching process was performed at 200 W for 60 min. After the plasma etching process, a fluorinated film was formed on the surface, and it was confirmed that the plasma resistance was lowered and contaminant particles were generated. We performed a surface cleaning process using piranha solution(H₂SO₄(3):H₂O₂(1)) to remove the defect-causing surface fluorinated film. APS-Y₂O₃ and APS-YAG coatings commonly increased the number of defects (pores, cracks) on the coating surface by plasma etching and cleaning processes. As a result, it was confirmed that the generation of contamination particles increased and the breakdown voltage decreased. In particular, in the case of APS-YAG under the same cleaning process conditions, some of the fluorinated film remained and surface defects increased, which accelerated the increase in the number of contamination particles after cleaning. These results suggest that contaminating particles and the breakdown voltage that causes defects in semiconductor devices can be controlled through the optimization of the APS coating process and cleaning process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.08a
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• pp.79-79
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• 2012

A high temperature and a low temperature plasma process technologies were developed and demonstrated for synthesis, hybrid formation, surface treatment and CVD engineering of nano powder. RF thermal plasma is used for synthesis of spherical nano particles in a diameter ranged from 10 nm to 100 nm. A variety of nano particules such as Si, Ni, has been synthesized. The diameter of the nano-particles can be controlled by RF plasma power, pressure, gas flow rate and raw material feed rate. A modified RF thermal plasma also produces nano hybrid materials with graphene. Hemispherical nano-materials such as Ag, Ni, Si, SiO2, Al2O3, size ranged from 30 to 100 nm, has been grown on graphene nanoplatelet surface. The coverage ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 has been achieved uniformly over the graphene surface. Low temperature AC plasma is developed for surface modification of nano-powder. In order to have a three dimensional and lengthy plasma treatment, a spiral type of reactor has been developed. A similar plasma reactor has been modfied for nano plasma CVD process. The reactor can be heated with halogen lamp.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2005

The influence of plasma parameters on the growth of $In_{0.2}Ga_{0.8}N/GaN$ heterostructures has been investigated using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Since plasma ejects plenty of energetic particles with different energy levels and flux density at various rf power levels, plasma modulated both growth rate and optical properties significantly. For instance, surface roughness and the emission spectrum of photoluminescence were degraded at low and high rf power. According to sharp interfaces between epitaxial films and strong peaks observed from photoluminescence spectra, our experimental setup presented optimal operation range of rf powers at around 400W. The phenomena could be explained by the presence of energetic particles modulating the rate of plasma stimulated desorption and surface diffusion, and energetic particles exceeding critical value resulted in the incorporation of defects at subsurface. The optimal rf power regime increased by 100W for $In_{0.2}Ga_{0.8}N/GaN$ growth in comparison with GaN. The effects of rf power were discussed in conjunction with kinetic processes being stimulated by energetic particles.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1989.07a
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• pp.447-450
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• 1989

Single particle orbit in plasma is obtained by drift Hamiltonian formulation in magnetic coordinate. The collisional effect is implied by Monte Carlo Method and the velocity space diffusion, energy transfer to the back ground plasma and the variation of energy distribution of test particles are investigated from many particles analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.943-947
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• 2007

The effect of hydrogen and oxygen plasma treatments on the structural properties of carbon nanotube(CNT) has been systematically investigated. As the plasma power was increased, nano particles were appeared at the surface of CNTs. At high plasma power(300 Watt), the structure of CNT was changed from nanotube type to nano particles. However, in case of hydrogen plasma treatment, there was no change in microstructure of CNT. From the Raman analysis, the crystallinity of CNT was deteriorated by the plasma treatment, regardless of gas types.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.524-529
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• 2016

Diagnostic sensors are demanded during plasma processes. Holograms of plasma taken with laser light without a reference beam were used to monitor behaviors of charged particles produced in nitrogen plasma as a function of electrode temperature ranging between 50 and 300℃. Holograms were characterized as a function of the pixel sum and grayscale value. Pixel sum calculated in identified grayscale ranges strongly correlated with ion density and emitted light intensity measured with a langmuir probe and optical emission spectroscopy, respectively. The performance was further evaluated with data acquired as a function of N₂ and NH₃ flow rates and improved correlations were observed in the new grayscale range. The confirmed correlations indicate that a hologram is a viable means to diagnose behaviors of plasma particles such as ions. Underlying principles are discussed in view of particle and charge composing vacuum and light.