Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
08:36
An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Setup to Investigate the Reactive Species Formation
Published on: November 3, 2016
Self-sputtering far above the runaway threshold: an extraordinary metal-ion generator
Joakim Andersson1, André Anders
1Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 5, 2009
Summary
Energetic electrons create excess plasma in self-sputtering systems, enabling prolific metal ion generation. This process allows ion current to substrates to surpass discharge current, especially in gasless copper sputtering.
Area of Science:
- Plasma Physics
- Materials Science
- Ion Source Technology
Background:
- Self-sputtering generates energetic electrons above the runaway threshold voltage.
- These electrons can create 'excess plasma' in zones remote from the magnetron target.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the generation of usable metal ions through excess plasma formation.
- To analyze the relationship between discharge voltage and ion current in gasless self-sputtering.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing ionization balance considerations to explain energy transfer to remote plasma zones.
- Experimenting with gasless self-sputtering of copper.
Main Results:
- Energetic secondary electrons provide energy for ionization in remote plasma zones.
- The ion current delivered to a substrate can exceed the discharge current.
- For gasless copper sputtering, usable ion current exhibits exponential scaling with discharge voltage.
Conclusions:
- Self-sputtering systems driven above the runaway threshold are highly efficient metal ion generators.
- This method offers a novel approach for high-flux ion beam generation, exceeding conventional limits.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Van de Graaff Generator
Van de Graaff generators (or Van de Graaffs) are devices used to demonstrate high voltage due to static electricity that can also be used for research. Robert Van de Graaff first built one in 1931 (based on original suggestions by Lord Kelvin) for use in nuclear physics research.
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
Van de Graaff uses both smooth and pointed surfaces, conductors, and insulators to generate large static charges and, hence, large voltages. A substantial excess charge can be deposited on the sphere because it moves...
03:20Nuclear Transmutation
Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...
01:27Biasing of Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Biasing metal-semiconductor junctions involves applying a voltage across the junction. Specifically, the metal is connected to a voltage source, while the semiconductor is grounded. This technique is essential for controlling the direction and magnitude of current flow in electronic devices, including diodes, transistors, and photovoltaic cells.
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
In Schottky junctions, where the semiconductor is n-type, applying a positive voltage to the metal relative to the semiconductor reduces its Fermi...
01:14Design Example: Automobile Ignition System
The automobile's ignition system plays a vital role by ensuring the timely ignition of the fuel-air mixture in each cylinder. This ignition is facilitated by a spark plug, which is composed of two electrodes separated by an air gap. A spark forms across this air gap when a substantial voltage is generated between the electrodes, leading to the ignition of the fuel.
One can generate a large voltage using a car battery of 12 volts with the help of inductors. Inductors are known for opposing rapid...
One can generate a large voltage using a car battery of 12 volts with the help of inductors. Inductors are known for opposing rapid...
01:10Generating Electromagnetic Radiations
The German physicist Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894) was the first to generate and detect certain types of electromagnetic waves in the laboratory. Starting in 1887, he performed a series of experiments that confirmed the existence of electromagnetic waves and verified that they travel at the speed of light. Hertz used an alternating-current RLC (resistor-inductor-capacitor) circuit that resonated at a known frequency and connected it to a loop of wire. High voltages induced across the gap in the...
01:22Carrier Generation and Recombination
Carrier generation is the process by which electron-hole pairs (EHPs) are created within the semiconductor. In direct-bandgap semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs), this occurs efficiently when energy absorption prompts valence electrons to leap into the conduction band, leaving behind holes.
This process is given by the generation rate G and is efficient due to the conservation of momentum between the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum.
Indirect generation involves an...
This process is given by the generation rate G and is efficient due to the conservation of momentum between the valence band maximum and conduction band minimum.
Indirect generation involves an...