Thermal conductivity probe

process

Optimizing of plasma-enhanced surface modifaction processes by means of continuous measurements of the energy output In plasma-enhanced processes, the occurrence and nature of surface reactions as well as reaction rates are significantly determined by the kinetic energy of the incoming particles. Together with other contributions such as radiation and reaction enthalpy, it is part of the total energy influx which is crucial for the resulting surface properties of the plasma-treated substrate. ZIROX, NEOPLAS and the Leibniz-Institute for Plasma Science and Technology developed a novel probe for an in-situ measurement of the real energy influx at the surface during a surface treatment. Hereby, the magnitude as well as the direction of energy flux can be characterized and correlated to the material's properties. Because of its high sensitivity to changes of process parameters and its comparatively low cost, the Active Thermal Probe is highly suited for an efficient quality control and online-monitoring of plasma processes in industry or research.