Nanoparticle Formation and Growth in Plasmas

Plasmas are highly efficient sources for nanoparticles. Energetic plasma electrons break down injected precursor gases which leads to the formation of nanoparticles through chemical clustering (nucleation). The small clusters can grow into bigger particles through agglomeration and surface growth. Our group is involved in the development of models for the chemical nucleations of particles of different materials (silicon, silicon oxide, carbon) and the development of agglomeration models that predict the particle size distribution. These models provide a deeper insight into the particle growth process in plasmas and enable an enhance control of plasma synthesis processes for nanoparticles.

Representative publications:

“Numerical study of the effect of gas temperature on the time for onset of particle nucleation in argon–silane low-pressure plasmas,” Upendra Bhandarkar, Uwe Kortshagen and Steven L Girshick, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36 , 1399–1408 (2003), DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/36/12/307.

“Modeling of Particulate Coagulation in Low Pressure Plasmas,” U. Kortshagen and U. Bhandarkar, Phys. Rev. E 60, 887 (1999), DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.60.887.

Simulation of the evolution of the particle size distribution in a silane plasma.