Paper SE+PS-MoM10
ICP Atmospheric Plasma Torch with Saddle-like Antennas for Yttrium Oxide Nanocoating

Monday, October 18, 2010, 11:20 am, Room Cimmaron

ICP atmospheric plasma torch is the most powerful electrode-less heat generating system with relatively small dimensions and a reasonable consumption of power and gases. It serves as an universal tool for nanocoating of surfaces where the gaseous, liquid as well as powder precursors can be used. A total melting, evaporation and plasma chemical reaction of precursor can be achieved with torches that provide a sufficient residential time a high temperature plasma fluid. But a conventional torches are supplied by a coil inductor pinching this fluid due to an axial magnetic filed. In result, a high temperature area is reduced and a sufficient part of precursor is converted in dust. In order to broaden and lengthen this area for a sufficient increasing of a residential time the inductor has been replaced with two saddle-like ICP antennas with the different frequencies, i.e. 27.12 and 13.56 MHz. Each antenna comprises two or more spiral coils in a mirror position and in series or parallel connection. These coils are distributed with an angular uniformity and envelop a quartz tube of a plasma reactor. Such an non-axisymmetric design allows generation of a transversal RF field directed normally to axis of this reactor. But a plasma fluid is fixed on the axis due to buoyancy in the centrifugal force field created by a swirling injection of a discharge and sheath gases. However, the temperature gradient and a pressure drop caused by a cold carrier gas injected with a high velocity axially into a plasma bulk generate turbulence disrupting and distorting the plasma fluid. In result, a heat transfer from plasma to the wall is increased, becomes non-uniform and creates a hot spot melting the quartz wall. Mechanisms of the non-axisymmetric coupling, torch generation, contribution of different factors in distortion of the plasma fluid and method elimination of the hot spot have been investigated. In addition, we will discuss recent effort to extend applications such a torch in different areas including fabrication of yttrium oxide anti-corrosive nanocoating of focusing rings used in plasma etching processes in semiconductor industry.

1. Y.Glukhoy, I. Ivanov RF Atmospheric Plasma Systems for Nanopowder Production and Deposition of Nanocrystallines. AVS 53rd International Symposium, San Francisco, California, November , 2006 CA, USA .

2. Y.Glukhoy. Saddle-like ICP Antenna for RF Atmospheric Plasma Processes. AVS 56th International Symposium, San Jose, California, November , 2009 CA, USA .