Experimental investigation of hybrid plasma reactor for duplex surface treatment

Abstract

This work investigates a hybrid plasma reactor designed for duplex surface treatment. This reactor consists of the combination of two plasma sources: namely, an inductive plasma source, for the activation of the surface by nitriding, and a magnetron cathode, for the deposition of titanium layer. Electrostatic probes and a Retarding Field Energy Analyzer probe (RFEA) are used to characterize plasma parameters such as ion density, electron temperature, plasma potential, ion current density, and the Ion Energy Distribution Function (IEDF). These parameters are monitored as a function of the injected radiofrequency power and the gas pressure. Our results show that these electrical parameters vary according to the parameters of the discharge. This characterization allows us to identify the optimal conditions for the targeted application and to ensure the reproducibility of thin film properties when moving from a research plasma reactor to an industrial one.