Nanoparticle Growth in Ethanol Based Plasmas

Nanoparticles are grown in a capacitively-coupled radio-frequency discharge (ccrf) in argon from the sputtering of a carbonaceous film deposited on the electrodes. This brown film was previously formed from the ethanol decomposition obtained in argon/ethanol plasmas. During the nanoparticle growth, optical emission spectroscopy reveals the evolution of some typical carbonaceous molecules. The nanoparticle formation also disturbs the plasma equilibrium and induces several plasma instabilities consisting in some cases in regular plasma rotation at very low frequencies. Once nanoparticles are large enough to be observed, they constitute a dense cloud trapped in between the electrode with one central or two symmetrical voids. Ex-situ analysis by scanning electron microscopy evidences that grown nanoparticles can have original surface stuctures.