Effective cooling of substrates with low thermal conductivity under conditions of gas-jet MPCVD diamond synthesis

The paper presents the results of an experimental study of heating molybdenum and silicon substrates under the conditions of gas-jet deposition of diamond structures using the precursor gases of a microwave discharge to activate. A cooled substrate holder using a metal melt to improve heat removal by reducing the thermal resistance between the substrate and the substrate holder has been developed. The use of the melt allowed lowering the temperature of the silicon substrate under the conditions of gas-jet deposition to a level that ensures the preservation of its structure. The developed substrate holders were used to carry out gas-jet synthesis of diamond structures on molybdenum and silicon substrates.

Chromatographic analysis of a cold plasma jet generated by an electrode microwave discharge in argon flow, interacting with atmospheric air

Application of gas chromatography in analysis of a cold plasma jet generated by an atmospheric pressure microwave discharge in argon flow was considered. Previously developed 2.45-GHz-plasmatron with the external 6-rod-electrode plasma torch was used as a microwave plasma source. The analysis of gaseous samples showed that CO concentration increases by 5-6 times and new gaseous products appear – H2 and CH4 as a result of plasma-gas interaction. The production of CO, H2 and O2 occurs in the processes of dissociation of CO2 and water vapor in the nonequilibrium plasma through the vibrationally excited states.

Features of processes in a microwave discharge in water vapor

A zero-dimensional steady-state simulation of microwave discharge in water vapor at atmos-pheric and reduced pressures and a constant gas temperature has been carried out. A model of a continuous stirring reactor is used. A joint solution of the balance equations for neutral and charged plasma components, the Boltzmann equation for plasma electrons, and the equation for the stationary distribution of the microwave field in a volume filled with plasma is carried out. The dependences of various parameters of thedischarge (the magnitude of the microwave field, the concentrations of all components) on the input specific power WVare obtained. It is shown that at reduced pressure the magnitude of the microwave field in the plasma is signifi-cantly lower, and the electron concentration is higher than at atmospheric pressure at the same applied specific power. At atmospheric pressure the water plasma is electronegative, and quasi-neutrality is maintained by the negative OH-ion in the range of the considered WV values. Transition from electronegative to electropositive plasma occurs at pressure of 30 Torr and ap-plied specific power of 60–70 kW/cm3