Possible mechanism for radial ion acceleration in a beam-plasma discharge

A mechanism is proposed that can lead to radial ion acceleration in a plasma discharge excited by an electron beam in a relatively weak longitudinal magnetic field. The mechanism operates as follows. The beam generates an azimuthally asymmetric slow potential wave, which traps electrons. Trapped magnetized electrons drift radially with a fairly high velocity under the combined action of the azimuthal wave field (which is constant for them) and a relatively weak external longitudinal magnetic field. The radial electron flux generates a radial charge-separation electric field, which accelerates unmagnetized plasma ions in the radial direction. The ion flux densities and energies achievable in experiments with kiloelectronvolt electron beams in magnetic fields of up to 100 G are estimated.     

Control of power characteristics of ion flow in plasma-etching reactor based on beam-plasma discharge

It is shown that on the basis of the earlier revealed effect of generating the ion flow in the beam-plasma discharge from the discharge axis, a plasma processing reactor can be created for low-energy etching of semiconductor structures. The possibility of easily controlling the density and energy of ion flow by means of varying the potential of the discharge collector is demonstrated. The charge compensation of the ion flow incident on the nonconducting surface is implemented using the modulation of the potential of the substrate holder as well as the plasma-potential modulation.     

Density Profile of a Plasma Layer Formed by an Electron Beam

Plasma Physics Reports - Results of particle-in-cell simulation of the formation of a near-wall plasma layer produced by an ionization source remote from the chamber walls are verified...     

Model of a Plasma Layer Formed by an Electron Beam

Plasma Physics Reports - Results are presented of the particle-in-cell numerical simulations by the KARAT code of the formation of a plasma–beam discharge in the absence of both the...     

Etching of “Microwire-on-Insulator”-Type Structures

Plasma Physics Reports - Nanoribbons from different materials, such as graphene and topological insulators, are currently intensively studied as structures needed in nanoelectronics and spintronics...     

Mechanism for ion acceleration along the normal to the axis of a beam-plasma discharge in a weak magnetic field

The mechanism responsible for the previously discovered phenomenon of acceleration of an ion flow along the normal to the axis of a beam-plasma discharge in a weak magnetic field is investigated. It is suggested that the ions are accelerated in the field of a helicon wave excited in the discharge plasma column. It is shown theoretically that, under actual experimental conditions, a helicon wave can be excited at the expense of the energy of an electron beam. The spectral parameters and spatial structure of the waves excited in a beam-plasma discharge in the frequency ranges of Langmuir and helicon waves are studied experimentally and are shown to be related to the parameters of the ion flow. Theoretical estimates are found to agree well with the experimental results.