Environment with reduced ion bombardment energy for levitated particles in an rf plasma

Abstract

We describe levitation of diamond fine particles in the H 2 rf plasma chamber equipped with an adaptive rf electrode. Since suppression of ion bombardment is essential for crystalline diamond growth, we use an adaptive rf electrode system in a parallel-plate capacitively coupled rf plasma in order to levitate particles in a quasineutral "spot plasma" region. Here the ions energy corresponds only to the floating potential of the particles without the additional energy of the streaming ions as in the sheath. One can expect ion bombardment with greatly reduced ion energy when this technique is applied to diamond deposition on levitated particles.

The energy distribution function of ions impinging on nanoparticles in a collisional low-pressure plasma

“…While little or no theoretical work was done in understanding the effects of pressure on the IED of ions hitting nanoparticles, the dusty plasma community is becoming sensitive to this issue. For example it is well understood that the suppression of high-energy ion bombardment is essential for the growth of crystalline diamond nanoparticles [24]. Morfill and co-workers reported on the 3D radio-frequency chemical vapor deposition of diamond grains where the 'substrate' consisted of seed particles levitated in a plasma composed of a mixture of CH 4 and H 2 [25] .…”