Electron-Beam Synthesis of Dielectric Coatings Using Forevacuum Plasma Electron Sources (Review)

This is a review of current developments in the field of ion-plasma and beam methods of synthesis of protective and functional dielectric coatings. We give rationales for attractiveness and prospects of creating such coatings by electron-beam heating and following evaporation of dielectric targets. Forevacuum plasma electron sources, operating at elevated pressure values from units to hundreds of pascals, make it possible to exert the direct action of an electron beam on low-conductive materials. Electron-beam evaporation of aluminum oxide, boron, and silicon carbide targets is used to exemplify the particular features of electron-beam synthesis of such coatings and their parameters and characteristics.

Fast-sweeping Langmuir probes: what happens to the I-V trace when sweeping frequency is higher than the ion plasma frequency?

Limited particle transit time is one of several limiting factors which determines the maximum temporal resolution of a Langmuir probe. In this work, we have revisited known fast sweep Langmuir probe techniques in a uniform, quiescent multi-dipole confined hot cathode discharge with two operation scenarios: one in which the probe sweeping frequency fsweep is much lower than the ion plasma frequency fpi, another one where fsweep is much greater than fpi, respectively. This allows the investigation of the effect of limited ion-motion on I-V traces. Serious distortions of I-V traces at high frequencies, previously claimed to be ion-motion limitation effect, was not found in the degree previously claimed unless shunt resistance is sufficiently high, despite achieving a ratio of ~ 3 between the probe sweeping frequency and the ion plasma frequency. On the other hand, evidences of sheath capacitance on the I-V trace have been observed. Distortions of I-V traces qualitatively agrees with predictions of sheath capacitance response to the sweeping voltage. Additionally, techniques in fast sweep Langmuir probe are briefly discussed. The comparison between a High-speed dual Langmuir probe (HDLP) and the single probe setup shows that the capacitive response can be removed via subtracting a leakage current for the single probe setup almost as effective as using an HDLP setup, but the HDLP setup does remain advantageous in its facilitation of better recovery of weak current signal common in low plasma density situations.

LOW-TEMPERATURE ION-PLASMA DEPOSITION TECHNOLOGY OF NANOSTRUCTURED FILMS OF ALUMINUM AND BORON NITRIDES

A low-temperature (substrate heating temperature up to 400 °C) ion-plasma technology for the formation of nanostructured AlN and BN films by the method of high-frequency reactive magnetron sputtering of the corresponding targets has been developed (the modernized installation "Cathode-1M"), which has in its technological cycle the means of physical and chemical modification, which allow to purposefully control the phase composition, surface morphology, size and texture of nanocrystalline films. The possibility of using the method of high-frequency magnetron sputtering for deposition of transparent hexagonal BN films in the nanoscale state on quartz and silicon substrates is shown. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has shown that AlN films can have an amorphous or polycrystalline surface with grain sizes of approximately 20-100 nm, with the height of the nanoparticles varying from 3 to 10 nm and the degree of surface roughness from 1 to 10 nm. It was found that the dielectric penetration of polycrystalline AlN films decreases from 10 to 3.5 at increased frequencies from 25 Hz to 1 MHz, and the peak tangent of the dielectric loss angle reaches 0.2 at 10 kHz. Such features indicate the existence of spontaneous polarization of dipoles in the obtained AlN films. Interest in dielectric properties in AlN / Si structures it is also due to the fact that there are point defects, such as nitrogen vacancies and silicon atoms, which diffuse from the silicon substrate during synthesis and play an important role in the dielectric properties of AlN during the formation of dipoles. The technology makes it possible, in a single technological cycle, to produce multilayer structures modified for specific functional tasks with specified characteristics necessary for the manufacture of modern electronics, optoelectronics and sensorics devices. It should also be noted that the technology of magnetron sputtering (installation "Cathode-1M") is highly productive, energetically efficient and environmentally friendly in comparison with other known technologies for creating semiconductor structures and allows them to be obtained with minimal changes in the technological cycle.

On the influence of ion-plasma treatment on the surface properties of reinforcing fillers

This article presents the results of a study of the hydrophilic properties of VMPS-10 84x4 glass filaments and SYT-49S 12K carbon tows. It has been found that the contact angle of glass and carbon fibers, which decreases after ion-plasma treatment, returns to its original values within 8 days. The capillarity values of both types of fibers increase irreversibly, but for carbon fibers, we observe a more significant change in this parameter. In the course of studying the microstructure of the surface of filler fibers before and after processing, it was found that all samples were uniformly covered with a film of an active lubricant with a microdispersed structure; however, for glass fibers, the size of the sizing particles increased during processing, and for carbon fibers, it decreased. In addition, thermophysical studies of the used reinforcing fillers were carried out, and it was found that during the ion-plasma modification, the erosion of the sizing film occurred.

Heat flux effect in ηi-mode driven solitary and shock waves in electron-positron-ion plasma

The specific role of ion heat flux on the characteristics of the linear and nonlinear ion temperature gradient (ηi) driven mode in inhomogeneous electron-positron-ion plasma is presented. Inhomogeneity in density, temperature, and the magnetic field is considered. A modified linear dispersion relation is obtained, and its different limiting cases are when ηi 2/3, ωD(gradient in magnetic field) = 0 and β(density ratio of plasma species) = 1 are discussed. Furthermore, an expression for the anomalous transport coefficient of the present model is obtained. Nonlinear structure solutions in the form of solitons and shocks show that mode dynamics enhance in the presence of ion heat flux in electron-positron-ion plasma. The present study is essential in energy confinement devices such as tokamak because the heat flux observed experimentally in tokamak plasma is much higher than those described by collisions. Further, it could be helpful to understand the nonlinear electrostatic excitations in the interstellar medium.

Structure and phase formation of ion-plasma vacuum-arc Zr-B-Si-C-Ti-(N) coatings during deposition

Zr-B-Si-C-Ti-N and Zr-B-Si-C-Ti coating systems were produced by arc-PVD technique. For their deposition, a combined titanium cathode with a ZrB2-SiC insert was used. Deposition was carried out in a residual atmosphere of N2 and Ar. Coatings structure and composition were investigated. The Zr-B-Si-C-Ti coating is characterized by an amorphous-nanocrystalline structure. In this case, nanocrystallites were formed from complex (Zr, Ti) C, and the amorphous structure fraction is formed mainly by phases based on zirconium and silicon. The second system, deposited in a nitrogen residual atmosphere, Zr-B-Si-C-Ti-N, has a predominantly amorphous structure. Such a structure is formed mainly from borides, nitrides, carbides and complex compounds of zirconium, silicon and titanium.

Research and development of processes of vacuum ion-plasma parts surface treatment

The application of electron-ion-plasma technologies for increasing the service life of machine parts, tools and technological equipment has been investigated. The technology of vacuum ion-plasma surface treatment is proposed for the deposition of coatings, which makes it possible to create internal, external and combined coatings. The manufacturability of coating methods is largely determined by the level of the developed equipment. The entire technological process of deposition of wear-resistant coatings on parts of friction units is carried out in one cycle on a BRV600F vacuum unit, which is equipped with all the necessary technical means. A method has been developed for the technology of obtaining a superhard carbon-metal coating with desired properties, namely, improving the quality of diamond-like films by changing their structure and composition, while the lower layer should have high adhesion to the substrate material, the middle layer should have high hardness and increased wear resistance, and the upper layer should have good thermal conductivity and heat resistance with low coefficient of friction.