Transport Phenomena in an Atmospheric‐Pressure Townsend Discharge Fed by N2/N2O/HMDSO Mixtures

This paper focuses on the understanding of the main mechanisms that participate in the growth process of an SiO2‐like film in an atmospheric pressure Townsend discharge in N2 with small ad‐mixtures of HMDSO and N2O. The approach consists of analyzing the influence of operating parameters on the growth rate profile through a fluid dynamics model. The suggested chemical mechanism is constituted by one volume reaction and one surface reaction. This simple model enables us to assume which phenomena control the film growth process among the following mechanisms: HMDSO dissociation by N2(A3Σ ) in Si‐containing radicals, radicals transport to the surface, and surface activation process by plasma. magnified image