Powder growth in low pressure Ar/CH4 and Ar/C2H2 rf discharges

A dusty plasma not only contains neutrals, ions and electrons but nano- to micrometer sized solid particles as well. These dust particles can carry high negative charges, up to 10,000 times the elementary charge and are formed in reactive plasmas under right conditions. Since the discovery of dust particles in plasmas many researchers have done research in this field. For its applications in solar cell industry and semiconductors, dust formation in low pressure SiH4 and fluorocarbon rf discharges has been extensively studied [1-2]. Recently the formation of dust particles in low pressure hydrocarbon rf discharges gains more and more interest because of its applications in space [3] and in thin PECVD as well as in nuclear fusion devices and its impact on plasma operation [4]. In the recent past, researchers have investigated formation and growth processes of hydrocarbon particles in low pressure Ar/CH4, Ar/C2H2 and Ar/C3H6 rf discharges [5-6]