The effect of mixed electric field on characteristic of Ar–N₂ plasma jets for TiN surface treatment

Abstract

In this paper, we present a new structure for Ar–N2 plasma jet generation where a pulsed electric field is modified with a second alternating electric field, referred to as mixed electric field. The electric field distribution through the jet tube is simulated for the conventional and newly designed plasma jet. It is demonstrated that the value of the electric field becomes stronger due to mixed electric field, particularly between the tip and ring electrodes through the tube. Not only does the length of plasma jet increase from 15 cm to 30 cm when a mixed electric field is employed, but also the temperature of the substrate surface decreases from 62 °C to 52 °C at the same power, which is favorable for industrial applications. It is shown that introducing more nitrogen into the plasma jet shortens the length of the jet, while the jet length could substantially be improved using the current design. The capability of surface treatment at different electrical power is also evaluated on deposited TiN layers by the conventional and current plasma jet. The surface treatment by the newly designed plasma jet based on mixed electric field shows no detectable damage on the TiN layer, while the conventional plasma jet degrades the surface at equal power. The hydrophilicity of the surface is also measured by the contact angle of a water droplet, which decreases from 66 to 31° after surface treatment, implying the surface becomes more hydrophilic. The temperature distribution on the substrate is also evaluated for Ar–N2 plasma jet and compared with the conventional plasma jet structure.

Low-temperature argon plasma jet with cascading electrode technique for biological applications

“…Argon and helium plasma jets with different gas combinations are the most important instruments used in the area of bioplasma 13 – 17 . To plasma jets generate, various jet nozzle structures and power supplies with different electrical parameters can be used 17 , 18 . Structures such as tip, ring, tip-ring, ring-ring are used depending on the experimental conditions and parameters that are desired 17 , 18 .…”

“…To plasma jets generate, various jet nozzle structures and power supplies with different electrical parameters can be used 17 , 18 . Structures such as tip, ring, tip-ring, ring-ring are used depending on the experimental conditions and parameters that are desired 17 , 18 . Also, variations in power supply parameters play a vital role in the results of plasma treatment 17 – 19 .…”

“…Also, variations in power supply parameters play a vital role in the results of plasma treatment 17 – 19 . The use of high voltage nanosecond pulses, high voltage pulses in radio and microwave frequencies, mixed electric field 18 , kHz plasma jets as a very developed class of plasma devices and variations in pulse width and applied voltage have been among the most critical parameters that have been considered by researchers in this decade 14 , 19 . Another of the most fundamental variable parameters of plasma jets is gas and gaseous compounds used to generate plasma 14 – 19 .…”

The effect of modulated electric field on characteristic of SDBD‐like plasma jet for surface modification

“…Nowadays, the atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) have found wide applications in diverse materials processing applications (surface hydrophilization, surface disinfection, and so on), [1][2][3][4][5] and known as a technique to improve functionality in various surface engineering applications. [6,7] Therefore, using plasma-related technologies seems essential in modern industries, where APPJs has received the most attention in the biomedical field.…”