Dust Successive Generations in Ar/SiH4: Dust Cloud Dynamics

Marjorie Cavarroc (1) , Maxime Mikikian (1) , Yves Tessier (1) , Laifa Boufendi (1)

1 GREMI - Groupe de recherches sur l'énergétique des milieux ionisés

Successive generations of dust particles in an Ar/SiH4 plasma, are shown to take place in the void region. We evidence that this cyclic phenomenon is also related to self-excited low frequency oscillations. These different results are obtained by correlating several diagnostics. We studied dust particle successive generations and the related dust cloud dynamics in silane based plasmas. Indeed, the growth of silicon nanoparticles is known to follow a well-defined cycle. Thanks to the correlation of various diagnostics (electrical, optical, ex-situ SEM), we evidenced a void region in the plasma and its specific structure. We especially showed that dust new generations grow inside this void region close to the plasma center. Moreover, an instability phenomenon linked to this cyclic growth in the void has been brought to the fore.

Mots clés: Silane; Void; Dust particle growth; Instabilities

Domaines: Plasmas; Physique des plasmas [physics.plasm-ph]

Marjorie Cavarroc, Maxime Mikikian, Yves Tessier, Laifa Boufendi. Dust Successive Generations in Ar/SiH4: Dust Cloud Dynamics. Fifth International Conference on the Physics of Dusty Plasmas, May 2008, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. pp.285, ⟨10.1063/1.2997132⟩. ⟨hal-00327588⟩