Public Abstract

DE-SC0025371: Control of Non-equilibrium Plasma Formation and Chemistry with Ferroelectric Electrodes and Hybrid Discharge for Efficient Manufacturing

Award Status: Active

Institution: The Trustees of Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
UEI: NJ1YPQXQG7U5
DUNS: 002484665

Most Recent Award Date: 09/26/2024
Number of Support Periods: 1
PM: Podder, Nirmol

Current Budget Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2025
Current Project Period: 09/01/2024 - 08/31/2027
PI: Ju, Yiguang

Supplement Budget Period: N/A

Public Abstract

Low temperature plasmas are essential to advanced green manufacturing of chips, chemicals, and materials using renewable electricity. Control of plasma non-equilibrium, plasma-surface interaction, surface charge, instability, and chemistry for active species and charge production is critical to improve the precision of nanofabrication and to improve the energy efficiency and selectivity in chemicals and materials manufacturing. Unfortunately, the kinetic coupling between plasma and surface reactions, surface charges and electron emission as well as plasma chemistry and instability are not well understood. Moreover, it is not clear how to selectively manipulate plasma non-equilibrium, energy distribution, chemistry, and instability. Furthermore, few time-resolved experimental data of plasma-surface interaction, plasma chemistry and instability are available. In addition, experimentally validated plasma chemistry models and predictive tools for plasma-surface interaction remains not available. The knowledge gaps create challenges to develop new low temperature plasma technologies. The objective of the proposed research is to develop a novel method by using a ferroelectric electrode and a nanosecond/DC hybrid plasma to control surface charge and surface electron emission, plasma-surface interaction, electron energy distribution, thermal-chemical instability, and afterglow in hydrogen and nitrogen mixtures for ammonia synthesis. The project will also develop new in-situ time resolved diagnostic methods and experimentally validated kinetic and physical models to understand and control non-equilibrium plasma physics and chemistry. Specifically, time-resolved in situ diagnostics such as a three-beam femto- and pico-second coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy will be developed to measure vibrationally excited states, surface electron emission, plasma generation and afterglow, electron energy distribution, number density, electric field, and active species for different ferroelectric electrode materials and mixtures. A hybrid ns/DC ferroelectric discharge will be used to control electron energy and vibrational excitation to examine new reaction pathways via electron- vibration-rotation energy transfer. The thermal chemical instability in both exothermic and endothermic mixtures with ferroelectric discharge will be examined. An experimentally validated ferroelectric plasma chemistry model and a multi-physics, multi-timescale, adaptive chemistry predictive tool will be developed. The research will develop a new platform to selectively control surface charge, surface electron emission, plasma generation, and plasma chemistry for advanced manufacturing. In addition, the project will aim to advance the understanding of ferroelectric non-equilibrium plasma discharge and thermal-chemical instability and the mechanism of non-equilibrium energy transfer and new reaction pathways in ferroelectric discharge. It is expected to deliver novel technologies to design new plasma discharge, plasma catalysts, and plasma chemistry for selective and energy efficient manufacturing as wells as new green technologies to reduce CO2.

Low temperature plasmas are essential to advanced green manufacturing of chips, chemicals, and materials using renewable electricity. Control of plasma non-equilibrium, plasma-surface interaction, surface charge, instability, and chemistry for active species and charge production is critical to improve the precision of nanofabrication and to improve the energy efficiency and selectivity in chemicals and materials manufacturing. Unfortunately, the kinetic coupling between plasma and surface reactions, surface charges and electron emission as well as plasma chemistry and instability are not well understood. Moreover, it is not clear how to selectively manipulate plasma non-equilibrium, energy distribution, chemistry, and instability. Furthermore, few time-resolved experimental data of plasma-surface interaction, plasma chemistry and instability are available. In addition, experimentally validated plasma chemistry models and predictive tools for plasma-surface interaction remains not available. The knowledge gaps create challenges to develop new low temperature plasma technologies. The objective of the proposed research is to develop a novel method by using a ferroelectric electrode and a nanosecond/DC hybrid plasma to control surface charge and surface electron emission, plasma-surface interaction, electron energy distribution, thermal-chemical instability, and afterglow in hydrogen and nitrogen mixtures for ammonia synthesis. The project will also develop new in-situ time resolved diagnostic methods and experimentally validated kinetic and physical models to understand and control non-equilibrium plasma physics and chemistry. Specifically, time-resolved in situ diagnostics such as a three-beam femto- and pico-second coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering spectroscopy will be developed to measure vibrationally excited states, surface electron emission, plasma generation and afterglow, electron energy distribution, number density, electric field, and active species for different ferroelectric electrode materials and mixtures. A hybrid ns/DC ferroelectric discharge will be used to control electron energy and vibrational excitation to examine new reaction pathways via electron- vibration-rotation energy transfer. The thermal chemical instability in both exothermic and endothermic mixtures with ferroelectric discharge will be examined. An experimentally validated ferroelectric plasma chemistry model and a multi-physics, multi-timescale, adaptive chemistry predictive tool will be developed. The research will develop a new platform to selectively control surface charge, surface electron emission, plasma generation, and plasma chemistry for advanced manufacturing. In addition, the project will aim to advance the understanding of ferroelectric non-equilibrium plasma discharge and thermal-chemical instability and the mechanism of non-equilibrium energy transfer and new reaction pathways in ferroelectric discharge. It is expected to deliver novel technologies to design new plasma discharge, plasma catalysts, and plasma chemistry for selective and energy efficient manufacturing as wells as new green technologies to reduce CO2.