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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik
P 11: Poster: Staubige Plasmen
P 11.21: Poster
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 17:30–19:30, Foyer des IfP
Generation of Si:C:N particles in plasma — •Angelo Consoli, Max Zimmermann, and Achim von Keudell — Center for Plasma Science and Technology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum
Dust particles are inherently formed in many reactive plasmas using various source gases such as acetylene or silane. Especially the formation of multi-compound particles is of great interest in many research fields. This work focuses on the formation of Si:C:N particles in SiH4/C2H2/NH3 plasma, which cannot be produced in standard chemical equilibrium processes. Si:C:N particles show good physical characteristics, such as high hardness, and high oxidation and corrosion resistance. For example, they may serve as quantum dots or as carriers for nanodisperse catalysts. However, the SiH4/C2H2/NH3 plasma has to be well understood to be able to control the particle production and composition. The aim of this work is to find the right precursor gas mixture to induce Si:C:N particle growth and to tailor the particles characteristics such as particle diameter and particle composition in a controlled way by optimizing plasma composition and plasma properties. The plasma composition is followed by time resolved molecular beam mass spectrometry and allows us to study the plasma chemistry during the initial stage of dust formation. Particles are extracted from the plasma volume by means of electric fields and studied ex-situ. AFM is used to determine their size and distribution. The optical properties of these particles are studied by photoluminescence measurements.