Gap Mesh Wire Control on Nano-Particles Growth

Abstract

The influence effect of different holes per inch on the plasma parameters and particle growth has been studied by compression between two different gap Aluminum meshes of 3 mm width, and 8 holes per inch (8 h/in) and 0.3 mm width and 20 holes per inch (20 h/in) at very low pressure. The perforated aluminum mesh with small diameter holes 20 h/in shows a better glow discharge stabilization than mesh with large diameter holes 8 h/in. For both 20 h/in and 8 h/in, sharp axial decrements for electron Temperature ( T e ), where T e decreased from 5.2 to 3.8 eV for 8 h/in, from 2.75 to 1.8 eV for 20 h/in. In contrast sharp axial increments for electron density ( N e ), whereas N e increased from 0.9 × 10 9 to 20 × 10 9 cm -3 for 8 h/in and from 8 × 10 9 to 42 × 10 9 cm -3 for 20 h/in. Silicon wafer [100] was exposed directly behind the meshes to realize nano-particle growth in sputtering discharge, where there are two different particles shapes: spherical shape particles produced by 20 h/in, and filamentary-shaped fractal particles formed by 8 h/in. The particle radius growth for 20 h/in was in the range of 4.67 - 301 nm during exposure time 40 - 95 min, and for 8 h/in were in the range of 9.2 - 28.8 nm during exposure time 60 - 95 min.