• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.339-346
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• 2015

Aerodynamic flow control phenomena were investigated with a low-current DC surface discharge plasma actuator. The plasma actuator was found to operate in three different discharge modes with similar discharge currents of about 1 mA or less. Stable continuous DC discharge without audible noise was obtained at higher ballast resistances and lower discharge currents. However, even with continuous DC power input, a low-frequency self-pulsed discharge was obtained at lower ballast resistances, and a high-frequency self-pulsed discharge was obtained at higher set-point currents and higher ballast resistances, both with audible noise. The Schlieren image reveals that the low-frequency self-pulsed mode produces a synthetic jet-like flow implying that a gas heating effect plays a role, even though the discharge current is small. The high-frequency self-pulsed mode produces pulsed jets in a tangent direction, and the continuous DC mode produces a steady straight pressure wave. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) images reveal that the induced flow field by the low-frequency self-pulsed mode has flow propagating in the radial direction and centered between the electrodes. The high-frequency self-pulsed mode and continuous DC mode produce flow from the anode to the cathode. The perturbed region downstream of the cathode is larger in the high-frequency self-pulsed mode with similar maximum speeds.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.320-320
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• 2016

Nanocrystalline Carbon thin films have numerous applications in different areas such as mechanical, biotechnology and optoelectronic devices due to attractive properties like high excellent hardness, low friction coefficient, good chemical inertness, low surface roughness, non-toxic and biocompatibility. In this work, we studied the comparison of pure DC power and pulsed DC power in plasma sputtering process of carbon thin films synthesis. Using a close field unbalanced magnetron sputtering system, films were deposited on glass and Si wafer substrates by varying the power density and pulsed DC frequency variations. The plasma characteristics has been studied using the I-V discharge characteristics and optical emission spectroscopy. The films properties were studied using Raman spectroscopy, Hall effect measurement, contact angle measurement. Through the Raman results, ID/IG ratio was found to be increased by increasing either of DC power density and pulsed DC frequency. Film deposition rate, measured by Alpha step measurement, increased with increasing DC power density and decreased with pulsed DC frequency. The electrical resistivity results show that the resistivity increased with increasing DC power density and pulsed DC frequency. The film surface energy was estimated using the calculated values of contact angle of DI water and di-iodo-methane. Our results exhibit a tailoring of surface energies from 52.69 to $55.42mJ/m^2$ by controlling the plasma parameters.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2010

SCM440 steels were nitrided using pulsed dc plasma combined with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) generated by 13.56 MHz rf power in order to enhance case hardening depth. The case hardening depth was increased with rf power. The effective case-depth with ICP at 900 watt was as 1.6 times as that nitrided without ICP. The hardening depth was also increased up to 1.45 times. The compound layers formed on top surface were dense and thin when pulsed dc plasma was combined with ICP.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 2009

Effects of bipolar pulse driving frequency between 50 kHz and 250 kHz on the discharge shapes were analyzed by measuring plasma characteristics by OES (Optical Emission Spectroscopy) and Langmuir probe. Plasma characteristics were modeled by a simple electric field analysis and fluid plasma modeling. Discharge shapes by a continuous dc and bipolar pulsed dc were different as a dome-type and a vertical column-type at the cathode. From OES, the intensity of 811.5 nm wavelength, the one of the main peaks of Ar, decreased to about 43% from a continuous dc to 100 kHz. For increasing from 100 kHz to 250 kHz, the intensity of 811.5 nm wavelength also decreased by 46%. The electron density decreased by 74% and the electron temperature increased by 36% at the specific position due to the smaller and denser discharge shape for increasing pulse frequency. Through the numerical analysis, the negative glow shape of a continuous dc were similar to the electric potential distribution by FEM (Finite Element Method). For the bipolar pulsed dc, we found that the electron temperature increased to maximum 10 eV due to the voltage spikes by the fast electron acceleration generated in pre-sheath. This may induce the electrons and ions from plasma to increase the energetic substrate bombardment for the dense thin film growth.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.593-600
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• 2013

The asymmetric pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering system is widely used for the high quality plasma sputtering process such as a thin film deposition. In asymmetric pulsed DC power supply a reverse voltage is applied to the target periodically to minimize arc discharging effect. When sputtering in the mid-frequency range (20-350 kHz), the periodic target voltage reversals suppress arc formation at the target and provide long-term process stability. Thus, high quality, defect-free coatings of these materials can now be deposited at competitive rates. In this paper, a new style asymmetric pulsed DC power supply including mid-transformer is presented. In the proposed, an energy recovery circuit is adopted to reduce the mutual inductance of the transformer. As a result, the system dynamics of the voltage control loop is increased highly and the non-linear voltage boosting effect of the conventional system is removed. This work was proved through simulation and laboratory based experimental study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.59.2-59.2
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• 2015

Modification of film structure and properties in inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) assisted dc and pulsed dc sputtering has been reported by Oya and Kusano [1] and by Sakamoto, Kusano, and Matsuda [2], showing drastic changes in films structure and properties by the ICP assistance in particular to the pulsed dc discharge. Although mechanisms involved in the modification has been reported to be the increase in energy transferred to the substrate, details of effects of low-energy ion bombardment on the modification and origin of an anomalous increase in the ion quantity by the ICP assistance to the pulsed dc discharge have not been discussed. In this presentation, mechanisms involved in film structure and property modification in ICP assisted dc and pulsed dc sputtering, in which a number of low-energy ions are formed, will be discussed based on ion energy distribution as well as effectiveness of energy transfer to the substrate by low energy particles [3]. The results discussed in this presentation will emphasize the fact that the energetic particles playing an important role in the film structure modification are those to be deposited, but not those of inert gas, when their energies range in less than 100 eV in the pressure range of magnetron sputtering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.103.2-103.2
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• 2017

Nanocrystalline HfN coatings were prepared by reactively sputtering Hf metal target with N2 gas using a magnetron sputtering system operated in DC and ABPP (asymmetric bipolar pulsed plasma) condition with various duties and frequencies. The effects of duty and frequency, ranging from 75 to 100 % and 5 to 50 kHz, on the coating microstructure, crystallographic and mechanical properties were systematically investigated with FE-SEM, AFM, XRD and nanoindentation. The results show that pulsed plasma has a significant influence on coating microstructure and mechanical properties of HfN coatings. Coating microstructure evolves from the columnar structure to a highly dense one as duty decreases. Average grain size and nano hardness of HfN coatings were also investigated with various pulsed conditions.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2014

I-V characteristics of a cylindrical target in an ECR plasma were studied for sheath spatial evolutions when the target was pulsed biased to a high negative potential. The magnetic field effects on sheath thickness and sheath boundary speed were investigated by comparison between the experimental results and the theoretical results using the Child-Langmuir sheath model. The results showed that the magnetic field suppressed electron motion away from the target so that sheath thickness and sheath boundary speed decreased.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.209-213
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• 2007

Change of the plasma volume by pulse frequency in a bipolar pulsed DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering was investigated. As increasing the frequency at off duty 10% and at a constant power, the plasma volume was lengthened in vertical direction from the AZO target. When there is an electrically floated substrate, the vertical length of the plasma area was not affected by the pulse frequency. Instead, the diameter of the plasma volume was increased. We found that the temperature rise of a substrate was affected by the pulse frequency, too. As increasing it, the maximum temperature rise of a glass substrate was decreased from $132^{\circ}C\;to\;108^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.154-158
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• 2010

Numerical analysis is done to investigate the effects of pulse bias on the plasma processing characteristics like ion doping and ion nitriding by using fluid dynamic code with a 2D axi-symmetric model. For 10 mTorr of Ar plasma, -1 kV of pulse bias was simulated. Maximum sheath thickness was around 20 mm based on the electric potential profile. The peak electron temperature was about 20 eV, but did not affect the averaged plasma characteristics of the whole chamber. Maximum ion current density incident on the substrate was 200 $A/m^2$ at the center, but was decreased down to 1/10th at radius 100 mm, giving poor radial uniformity.