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E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Growth of GaN thin films as well as optical films, on glass
and plastics
- CD players, flat panel displays, and traffic signals
- Electrochromic coatings for windows
- Creating water-vapor plasmas for better ion-conducting hydrated
films
- Implanting nitrogen ions in lithium with ultimate aim of making
recyclable lithium batteries
ADVANTAGES:
- Rugged and low-cost
- Can operate at either low or high pressures
- Produces low-temperature plasmas with high percentages of the
desired species of ionized gas
- Permits the formation of delicate crystalline films impossible
to make using other kinds of plasma sources
ABSTRACT:
The constricted plasma source (CPS), a new, rugged, low-cost device,
was developed by Simone Anders, Andre Anders, Michael Dickinson, Mike Rubin and colleagues at Berkeley Lab for growth of GaN thin films, as well
as optical films, on glass and plastics. This 1997 R&D 100 Award-winning
technology utilizes a constricted glow discharge, characterized
by the presence of a small orifice (or constriction) placed in the
discharge path between cathode and anode. Ionization processes occur
in the vicinity of the constriction, and the ionized gas (plasma)
is "blown" through the constriction by the pressure gradient.
Existing plasma sources operate at low pressures and high energies.
By contrast, the CPS can operate at either low or high pressures,
producing low-temperature plasmas with high percentages of the desired
species of ionized gas. Low ion energies permit the formation of
delicate crystalline films impossible to make using other kinds
of plasma sources. With nitrogen, the CPS can help create blue LEDs
and laser diodes, useful in CD players, flat panel displays, and
traffic signals. With oxygen, it can assist in the deposition of
a variety of oxide films including promising electrochromic coatings
for windows. Other possible applications include creating water-vapor
plasmas for better ion-conducting hydrated films or implanting nitrogen
ions in lithium, with the ultimate aim of making recyclable lithium
batteries, a potential boon to the electric car market.
STATUS:
REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1124
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CONTACT:
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Technology
Transfer Department
E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
MS 90-1070
Berkeley, CA 94720
(510) 486-6467 FAX: (510) 486-6457
TTD@lbl.gov |
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