MODELING THE PULSED GLOW-DISCHARGE OF A NITRIDING REACTOR

Through a detailed study, involving a close coupling between numerical modelling and experimental investigations, a better understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms in the low-frequency DC pulsed regi me of a nitriding plasma reactor has been obtained. The modelling, bas ed on a one-dimensional electric model with two populations of electro ns (beam and bulk), leads to an accurate description of the different regions of the discharge, including the negative glow. Current-voltage characteristics of the discharge as well as the evolution of line emi ssion intensities measured by space-and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy, have been obtained for various operation regimes. In an alysing the experimental results obtained, together with relevant simu lations, clear evidence has been obtained that a heating process of th e neutral gas occurs and plays an important role in usual operation re gimes. An actual self-consistent modelling including this effect is un der way. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.