Large area multi-filamentary plasma source for large volume plasma device-upgrade

Area of Science:

• Plasma Physics
• Materials Science
• Engineering

Background:

• Large-volume plasma generation is crucial for various industrial and research applications.
• Existing plasma sources often face limitations in scalability, uniformity, and operational efficiency for large volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the performance of the newly installed Large Area Multi-Filamentary Plasma Source (LAMPS).
• To evaluate its suitability for generating large-volume, uniform plasmas with specific electron density and temperature parameters.

Main Methods:

• Directly heated hairpin-shaped tungsten filaments (0.5 mm diameter) operated at 2700 K.
• Biasing LAMPS with a negative discharge voltage to emit energetic electrons.
• Pulsed argon plasma generation with a 50 ms duration.

Main Results:

• Achieved plasma electron density of ~2x10^17 m^-3 with 0.5 mm filaments.
• Demonstrated good radial uniformity (Ln = 210 cm) and axial uniformity.
• Projected plasma density of ~10^18 m^-3 with thicker filaments (0.75-1.0 mm).

Conclusions:

• LAMPS is a promising laboratory plasma source with advantages in operational life, handling, and high-pressure compatibility.
• It offers superior performance for producing plasma over large cross sections and fill volumes compared to contemporary sources.
• Further optimization with thicker filaments can achieve the target plasma density of ~10^18 m^-3.