Laboratory

The Laboratory for Plasma Processing of Materials in the Energy Research Facility features an array of state-of-the-art tools for plasma-based etching, synthesis or modification of materials. The tool set available in the laboratory includes plasma reactors, instruments that characterize the plasma or the surfaces of plasma-treated materials, and measurement tools that evaluate the crucial variables that determine the ultimate usefulness of the materials and structures thus produced. The available plasma reactors include devices for producing either highly ionized plasmas (fraction of charged particles in the percentage range) or reactors where the charged particle density is negligible but reactive atoms or molecular radicals formed in a remote plasma chamber interact with the material to be modified. Electron beam generated plasma characterized by a very low plasma potential and enabling processing at very low particle energies is being pursued for atomic scale processing. The laboratory has also focused on non-equilibrium plasma produced by various devices for treatment of materials and chemical processing at atmospheric pressure, and the researchers developed novel approaches for the study of LTP-surface interactions under these conditions. For these a significant number of important measurement tools, many of which can be applied in real time during actual plasma processing of materials, is available.

The images shown below provide views of researchers in the plasma processing laboratory at work and various equipment used in the laboratory. For a larger copy of an image, left click on the image.

View of vacuum cluster showing multi-technique surface analysis system at left and various plasma processing chambers behind and at right. Various custom-built UHV-compatible chambers are used for plasma processing and incorporate various capabilities, including integrated real-time plasma/gas phase and surface diagnostics. They are connected via UHV transfer with a sample preparation chamber and a multi-technique surface analysis system.

Fourier transform infrared spectrometer used for gas phase and surface characterization of plasma-catalyst processes for sustainable environmentally acceptable processes using atmospheric pressure plasma devices.

Photograph of the effluent of a non-equilibrium plasma jet operated in ambient air.

Dr. Chen Li working with a novel plasma reactor that he constructed featuring electron beam-induced plasma generation and real-time in-situ surface analysis for atomic scale processing of materials.

Dr. Pingshan Luan (Ph.D. 2018) working on x-ray photoemission spectroscopy characterization of polymer sample after plasma treatment using atmospheric pressure plasma source.

Dr. Shiqiang Zhang working with an atmospheric pressure plasma jet located inside the controlled environment of a vacuum chamber. Real-time in-situ surface characterization of materials being treated by atmospheric pressure plasma jet can be performed, along with various type of characterizations of the effluent.

Graduate students Adam Pranda (PhD, 2020) and Kang-Yi Lin working on vacuum transfer of a specimen into a UHV chamber for surface characterization after atomic layer etching.

Dr. Xi Li is working on a multi-chamber vacuum system used for plasma processing of materials. A ultra-high vacuum sample transfer system connects various plasma devices with a multi-technique surface analysis system and with each other.

Dr. V. Godyak teaching graduate students how to report their data for maximum impact in the scientific literature. From left to right: Kang-Yi Lin, Eike Beyer, Adam Pranda (PhD, 2020), Dr. Godyak, Chen Li (PhD, 2019), Yudong Li, Pingshan Luan (PhD, 2018).