IWPDA 2009

Singapore

IONS EMISSION FROM PLASMA

FOCUS AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Riaz Ahmad
Plasma Technology Lab
Department of Physics
GC University, Lahore
8/13/2009 GC University Lahore
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 MOTIVATION
Plasma focus device is a co-axial magnetic energy

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
accelerator producing highly energetic (45 Kev to 2
MeV), pulsed ions , relativistic electrons, neutron pulse

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and burst of X-rays.
 Wide range of Ion species e.g. C+4, C+5 in case of
methane plasma
 Soft (~ 0.1-10 keV) and hard (l0-1000 keV) X-Rays

 105 W/cm2 (for neutrons), 108 W/cm2 (for soft and hard X-
rays), 1010 W/cm2 (for fast ion streams and plasma jets)
and up to l013 W/cm2 (for self-focused electron beams).
(Gribkov 2008)
 Its use in Materials processing e.g. pulsed ion beam 3
implantation in Semi-conductor and metals, surface
modification, thin film deposition.
APPLICATIONS OF DPF DEVICE

X-rays for imaging and X-ray Lithography

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
S Hussain et al., (2004 & 2006) ; Rawat et al., Y Kato et al ( 1986, 1988) Gribkov

• Induction of change of phase in thin film

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[R.S.Rawat, M.P.Srivastava, S.Tandon and A.Mansingh, Phys. Rev B 47, 4858 (1993)]
[Mehboob Sadiq, Phys. Lett. A 2006]

• Deposition of thin films

[M Hassan et al. Physics lett A]

• Ion Implantation
• Feugeas et al. (1988 )

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PLASMA DYNAMICS

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Radial Collapse
Phase

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Axial Acceleration Phase

Breakdown Phase

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Melanese et al (2005)
PLASMA DYNAMICS
 The current sheath dynamics in plasma

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focus allows the formation of high
temperature and high density plasma

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column at the end of radial collapse phase.
The plasma column then disintegrated
due to plasma instabilities, which
generate energetic ions and relativistic
electrons.
 Many workers tried to explain the
mechanisms for the production of charged
particles. 6
MECHANISMS OF IONS ACCELERATION
 In 1970, Bernstein developed a model for acceleration

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dv / dt  e / m E   V
mechanism of deutrons. ir i r ci iz

dv / dt  e / m E   V
iz i z ci ir

 Bernstein and Comisar (1971) calculated the electric

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field generated by a rapidly constricting current
discharge.
 Gribkov et at (1973) suggested impurities may have an
important role in triggering micro-instabilities through
increased resistivity from ionizational cooling.
 Sahlin (1975) impurities of high Z number may cool the
plasma by radiative loss to the point where the electron
thermal velocity is less than the directed velocity,
triggering the micro-instabilities.
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 During the compression phases, rapid changes in the
magnetic flux are the main cause of high electric field.

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After the maximum compression, the plasma column is
extended axially and plasma inductance Increases.
(Yousefi et al 2006)

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 Growth of m=0 instability causes the ions acceleration
with periods of few to tens of nanoseconds. (Yousefi et al.
Plasmas and Fusion Research 2007).

 When the current velocity is high enough the current

micro-instabilities can grow to the level which gives a 8
high anomalous resistivity. (Stepniewski et al 2004)
CHARACTERIZATION OF IONS

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 Faraday Cup
 Photodiode (PIN)

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 SSNTDs –CR 39

 Thomson type analyzer

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EARLIER WORK

 Most work was done on deuterons.

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 Gullickson and Sahlin (1978) used Thomson parabola
spectrometer. Deuteron energy using carbon disks (3.8

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cm diameter and 0.79 cm thick through carbon
activation.
 Mozer et al. (1982) experimented to find the energy
(50kJ 18kV) using Thomson analyzer. The maximum
energy of impurity ions is proportional to their charge
number Z, but it does not depend on mass of ions
(E=kZ; k=1.8 MeV). Charge proportionality of E leads
to an acceleration in electric field.

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 Gerdin et al (1981) used the Faraday cup to measure the
energy of deuteron around 25 keV.
 Sadowski et al 1988 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 30

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763-769 presented the angular- and energy-
distributions of ions emitted from different plasma-focus

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(PF) devices of energy capacity ranging from 3.6 kJ to
about 200 kJ.
 Jakubowski et al (2001) used SSNTDs for imaging the
ion beams and he observed that more than twelve
distinct but narrow beams were identified. The observed
ion beams with energies of higher than 1.3 MeV are
usually emitted within a narrow cone oriented along the
axis of the PF discharge. The ion current density of
several mA and flux density amounts to 2.5 x 1012
deuterons/sr. FWHM is 20ns which 400-450 keV. 11

 Mohnaty (2005) mutli-Farady cup.

 Bhuyan (2005) measured charge states, energy spectrum and
flux of ion beams. The ions acceleration occur at early stage of
pinch formation where the developing of m=0 MHD instabilities
can provide a mechanism for energy transfer from the magnetic

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field to ion.
 n is charge state
Mc
 nC   H

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nM H
N i mD vshock
Shock wave exert pressure on the sample:
p

 Grbkov et al (2003)
tS
( 3 106 Wcm  2 )
where mass of deuteron mD , vshock is the velocity of shock, S is the
surface area, t is time interval of shock wave action on
specimen.
 Bhuyan (2006) measured ions at different angular positions. The
ion beam emission shows anisotropy. The maximum emission 12 is
confined to 0 to 15 deg.
ION STUDIES AT GC UNIVERSITY LAHORE
 Used SSNTDs, Faraday Cup and Photodiode for ions
energy.

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SSNTDs Takao et al. (2001):
Engraved anode face

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Wilson Seal enhanced purity of
Shutter
nitrogen ion up to 91%.

Electrode System
Insulator Sleeve

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HYDROGEN IONS CONFERENCE\HASSAN-IONS-
2003.PDF

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 Variation of hydrogen ion
flux radially and with
pressure

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Electrode

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NITROGEN IONS
Generation of micro-beam at the anode
tip, which are scattered on passing

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through pinch region under the
electromagnetic field. This scattering is
stronger for nitrogen because ion beams

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find sufficient time to interact with neutral
species or ionized gas in the pinch
region.
Shot to shot fluctuation

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 FARADAY CUP AND PHOTODIODE
CONFERENCE\HASSAN-AHMAD-07.PDF

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Faraday cup

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•Time of flight method
•Plasma pinch time is much smaller than
the time of flight of ions from focused
plasma column to FC

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dN  m 2 l 
1
1
 I
dE  (2 E ) 3 2  e(kg  Z ( E ))
 
 PIN diode used as ion detector

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 Used in reverse bias

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Voltage / V

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Voltage probe
5

Soft X-rays
3
Faraday Cup
2
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0 2000 4000 6000 8000

Time / ns
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GCU PhD thesis

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 DEPOSITION OF MATERIALS
 Sanchez et al (1995) proposed that ion beam is accelerated during
the development of instabilities. Ions beams accelerated in conic
geometry with solid angle of 40 degree.

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 Plasma stream reaches the surface of target immediately after
the ion beam.

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 Strong thermal shocks heat the surface melting it or evaporating
the surface layers.
 Few tens of second, target virtually reaches to room temperature-
fast cooling,
Energetic Ion beam
Incident Ions
Energetic Ion beam
Incident Ions Substrate
Implanted Ions

atom
Substrate
atom Compound
molecule Vaporized
atom

Compound Layer

Substrate
m
D.Zone
m

Substrate

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Ion beam assisted deposition
Ion Implantation
NITRIDING OF TITANIUM BY USING AN ION
BEAM DELIVERED BY A PLASMA FOCUS J. PHYS.
D: APPL. PHYS. 40 (2007) 769–777
 Energy, number density, energy

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distribution and current density, by
employing a BPX65 photodiode.
 30 to 550 keV

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 The XRD analysis of the nitrided
samples shows the deposition of a
nanocrystalline TiN thin film at
different axial positions, with the
maximum relative proportion at the
axial position of 7 cm. The grain size
of the TiN film is estimated to be
about 90 nm while the compound
layer thickness is about 0.66μm.

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The SEM results exhibit
that the surface roughness
of the TiN thin film is
strongly influenced by the

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ion beam energy flux and
decreases with the
increase in the axial

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distance of the samples. At
3 cm, the surface
roughness is maximum
without formation of the
compound layer. The
roughness is reduced at 5
cm along with the
development of the
nanocrystalline TiN film
having petal-like features,
which appears prominently
at 7 cm.
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SYNTHESIS OF NANOCRYSTALLINE MULTIPHASE
TITANIUM OXYCARBIDE (TICXOY) THIN FILMS BY
UNU/ICTP AND NX2 PLASMA FOCUS DEVICES
CONFERENCE\HASSAN-AHMAD-08.PDF
PF device operated with CH4 discharge.

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XRD spectra demonstrate the evolution and
restructuring of various phases (TiC2, TiO0.325,
Ti2O3 and carbon) in the composite film by

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changing deposition parameters.

The crystallite size estimated for a typical carbon

phase in the film ranges from 20±5 to 30±5 nm with 25
small size dispersion.
The crystallinity and the relative phase content of a typical carbon
phase is found to be enhanced at a lower axial position.
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SEM results reveal that the
nanocomposite films are non-
porous and microcrack-free with a
grain-like surface morphology
having spatially uniform carbon
distribution.

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 Lower energy flux and lower repetition rates predominantly
favor the evolution of multiphase coatings having TiC2 and
graphitic carbon adsorbates along with the residual oxide
(TiO0.325, Ti2O3 ) phases as made evident by the XRD, Raman
and the observed line shape of Ti 2p and C 1s XPS spectra. In

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the NX2 treatment, the deposition of carbon and TiO0.325
phases is favored due to the improved oxide removal and
enhanced disorder in the substrate surface. Thus, the

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nonstoichiometric TiO0.325 phase appears with the
disappearance of stoichiometric phases. In addition, the TiC2
phase is also suppressed owing to its thermal decomposition into
the unstable TiO0.325 phase and carbon adsorbate. The
granular profile of the films attains a definite coagulation
pattern, owing to the enhanced substrate temperature caused by
the higher energy flux of the ion beams and the higher repetition
rate. Based on the XRD, Raman and XPS results, one can
conclude that the energy flux of the ion beam and the repetition
rate are crucial parameters which influence the evolution of a
particular phase of the film with a specific surface profile. By 28
optimizing these parameters, film properties may be tuned.
FROM PLASMA FOCUS DEVICE
THIN SOLID FILMS 516 (2008) 8255–8263 CONFERENCE\NITRIDATION OF
ZIRCONIUME.PDF

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•zirconium nitride phases (ZrN, Zr2N and Zr3N4)
•The crystallinity of zirconium nitride increases by increasing the nitrogen ion dose and
decreases by increasing the angular position.
•The crystallite size of ZrN (200) and Zr2N (121) phases increases by increasing the
nitrogen ion dose.
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•The residual stress analysis reveals
the presence of tensile stress (~1

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GPa) in Zr (101), compressive stress
(~9.5 GPa) in ZrN (111) and (~1.5
GPa) in ZrN (200) phases after
nitrogen ion irradiation.As the
nitrogen ion dose is increased,
stresses in all these phases are
relaxed.

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FESEM results show that the grain

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size of zirconium nitride increases
by increasing the ion dose with
homogeneous distribution when the

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sample was treated at 10° angular
position for 40 focus deposition
shots.

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The Vickers microhardness of the
deposited film is enhanced up to

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400%for a typical nitrided sample.
The microhardness increases by
increasing the nitrogen ion dose
due to greater lattice distortion
produced in the substrate due to
high ion energy flux and
decreases rapidly by increasing
the angular position due to lower
ion flux.

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 OXYNITRIDE COMPOSITE FILMS BY DENSE PLASMA FOCUS
DEVICE
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE 255 (2009) 6132–6140 I A KHAN-AHMAD-
09.PDF

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XRD results of the nitrided samples show the
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deposition of multiphases ZrAlON composite
film on zirconium substrate
SEM results show that a smooth
surface morphology of the
samples exposed for 20 Focus

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shots is observed. For 30 Focus
shots, SEM results exhibit the
formation of net-type

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microstructure (chain of elongated
features) at 08 angular position.
SEM results exhibit that
compactness, uniform distribution
of grains, roughness and porosity
of nitrided surface are strongly
influenced by the ion energy flux.
The film surface becomes rougher
for higher ion dose (40 Focus
shots) which may be due to
resputtering of composite films
and re-crystallization of zirconium
phases. 34
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DEPOSITION OF TITANIUM NITRIDE ON SI(100)
WAFERS USING PLASMA FOCUS TIN ON SI-
TOUSIF.PDF
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH B 267 (2009) 768–772

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SEM results
showed net-like
structure for film

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deposited with
fifteen shots with
elongated grains

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(may be of Si3N4
in amorphous
form) embedded
into TiN grains.

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 The AFM study
showed that
roughness of the TiN

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films increased with
increasing the number
of focus shots. The

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results showed that 15
numbers of focus
shots are enough for
deposition of smoother
film with smaller
crystallite size. TiN
grains. The AFM
study showed that
roughness of the TiN
films increased with
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increasing the number

The AFM study showed that
roughness of the TiN films

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increased with increasing the
number of focus shots. The
results showed that 15 numbers of

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focus shots are enough for
deposition of smoother film with
smaller crystallite size.

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Thank you
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SAQIB-AHMAD-09.PDF