The remote plasma deposition of hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) thin films is investigated by in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The dielectric function of the a-C:H film is in this paper parametrized by means of B-splines. In contrast with the commonly used Tauc–Lorentz oscillator, B-splines are a purely mathematical description of the dielectric function. We will show that the B-spline parametrization, which requires no prior knowledge about the film or its interaction with light, is a fast and simple-to-apply method that accurately determines thickness, surface roughness, and the dielectric constants of hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films. Analysis of the deposition process provides us with information about the high deposition rate, the nucleation stage, and the homogeneity in depth of the deposited film. Finally, we show that the B-spline parametrization can serve as a stepping stone to physics-based models, such as the Tauc–Lorentz oscillator.

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The etch mechanisms of hydrogenated amorphous carbon thin films in low-energetic (<2 eV) high flux plasmas are investigated with spectroscopic ellipsometry. The results indicate a synergistic effect for the etch rate between argon ions and atomic hydrogen, even at these extremely low kinetic energies. Ion-assisted chemical sputtering is the primary etch mechanism in both Ar/H2 and pure H2 plasmas, although a contribution of swift chemical sputtering to the total etch rate is not excluded. Furthermore, ions determine to a large extent the surface morphology during plasma etching. A high influx of ions enhances the etch rate and limits the surface roughness, whereas a low ion flux promotes graphitization and leads to a large surface roughness (up to 60 nm).

Magnum-PSI is a linear plasma generator designed to reach the plasma-surface interaction (PSI) regime of ITER and nuclear fusion reactors beyond ITER. To reach this regime, the influx of cold neutrals from the source must be significantly lower than the plasma flux reaching the target. This is achieved by a differential pumping scheme, where the vacuum vessel is divided by skimmers into separate chambers which are individually pumped. The non-magnetized expansion of 5 Pa m 3 s −1 (3 slm) argon in a low background pressure was studied in the differentially pumped vacuum vessel fitted with non-cooled flat skimmers. The behavior of the neutral component was studied with direct simulation Monte Carlo simulations and Rayleigh scattering measurements. Thomson scattering and double Langmuir probe measurements were performed on the ionized fraction. It was found that the electrons and neutral particles are not completely coupled in the shock front. The neutral fraction shows clear signs of invasion from hotter background gas, causing the average temperature and density to increase before the shock. This is also shown in the ionization ratio, which has been determined in front of and behind the first skimmer. This study helps us to understand the behavior of the gas flow in the machine and validates our modeling.

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