TY - INPR A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Kornev, R. A. A1 - Shabarova, L. V. A1 - Ermakov, A. A. A1 - Mochalov, G. M. A1 - Rekunov, N. V. A1 - Medov, V. A. A1 - Chaschina, A. D. A1 - Kalinina, A. A. T1 - Features of Plasma-Chemical Hydrogen Reduction of Volatile Silicon and Germanium Chlorides in RF-arc Discharge N2 - The processes of hydrogen reduction of silicon and germanium chlorides under the conditions of radio-frequency (40.68 MHz) counteracted arc discharge stabilized between two rod electrodes were investigated. The main gas-phase and solid products of plasma-chemical transformations were determined. Thermodynamic analysis of SiCl4 + H2 and GeCl4 + H2 systems was carried out. It is shown that under the implemented experimental conditions, equilibrium components of the products are established. The detected spectra of chemical activity were studied, which gave reason to assume that the molecular mechanism of the hydrogen reduction process is the main one. The impurity composition of gas-phase and solid reaction products was investigated. The possibility of single-stage production of high-purity Si and Ge mainly in the form of compact ingots, as well as high-purity chlorosilanes and trichlorogermane, was shown. KW - RF-arc discharge KW - Hydrogen reduction KW - Silicon chloride KW - Germanium chloride KW - Thermodynamic KW - Silicon KW - Germanium PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-588909 DO - https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.1412.v1 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-58890 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Improved Data Processing for Accurate Plasma Diagnostics with Implications for Calibration-Free LIBS N2 - Many LIBS papers report the determination of plasma temperature using the Boltzmann plot method or the determination of electron density using the Stark line broadening relation. This requires measuring the integrated intensities of the spectral lines and the linewidth under the assumption of optical thinness. It is taken for granted that this can be easily done either by working with the raw spectra or by fitting the appropriate function to the observed spectral lines. However, extracting the necessary information from raw spectral data is not as easy as it might seem. The quality of such extraction will depend to a decisive extent on the type of spectral instrument used. The spectrum emitted by the plasma is distorted by the device; an example is shown in Fig. 1. The elimination of this distortion belongs to the class of inverse problems, the successful solution of which fundamentally depends on the quality of the available information. When it comes to spectroscopy, the quality of information primarily means high spectral resolution and low noise. Not all spectrometers used in LIBS can provide the quality needed to solve the inverse problem; this casts doubt on many published plasma measurements. This communication will be devoted to the general shortcomings of spectral data processing and the inaccuracies in determining the plasma parameters resulting from these shortcomings. The analysis is based on the use of synthetic spectra generated by plasma with known temperature, particle density and electron density. The estimation of errors caused by inadequate processing of spectral data is made by comparing the initial and measured plasma parameters from the spectra. Recommendations will be made for which analytic function best approximates the observed spectral lines, and how data processing errors affect the accuracy of calibration-free LIBS will be discussed. These issues were only partially covered in previously published works, for example [1, 2]. T2 - Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale XLIII, The 5th Asian Symposium on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy June 26-30, 2023 CY - Tokushima, Japan DA - 26.06.2023 KW - Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy KW - Calibration-free LIBS KW - Data processing PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58589 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Importance of Spectral Resolution for Accurate Plasma Diagnostics with Implications for Calibration-Free LIBS N2 - In the LIBS literature, almost every second article reports the determination of the plasma temperature using the Boltzmann plot method or the determination of the electron density using the Stark line broadening relation. The first requires the measurement of the integrated intensities of the spectral lines, and the second requires the measurement of the linewidth, under the same assumption of optical thinness. It is taken for granted that this can be easily done either by working with the raw spectra or by fitting an appropriate function to the observed spectral lines. As a rule, reported data are not verified either by an alternative method (e.g., Thomson scattering) or by computer simulations using synthetic spectra. However, the question of how to extract the necessary information from the raw spectral data is not as simple as it might seem. The quality of such an extraction will depend critically on the type of spectral instrument used, its resolution, and the noise superimposed on the data. The problem is that we do not see the spectrum emitted by the plasma, but the spectrum distorted by the measurement; an exaggerated example of such a distortion is shown in Fig. 1. The elimination of this distortion belongs to the class of inverse problems, the so-called ill-posed problems, whose successful solution crucially depends on the quality of the information available. When it comes to spectroscopy, quality of information primarily means high spectral resolution and low noise. Not all spectrometers used in LIBS can provide the quality needed to solve the inverse problem; this casts doubt on many published plasma measurements. The current presentation will be devoted to general shortcomings in the processing of spectral data and inaccuracies in the determination of plasma parameters resulting from these shortcomings. The analysis is based on the use of synthetic spectra produced by plasma with known characteristics, i.e., temperature, species densities, and electron density. The estimation of errors caused by inadequate processing of spectral data is made by comparing the initial and reconstructed plasma parameters. Recipes will be given for which the analytic function best approximates the observed spectral lines, and how data processing errors affect accuracy of calibration-free LIBS will be discussed. These issues were only partially covered in previously published works, for example [1, 2, 3]. T2 - EMS LIBS 2023 CY - Porto, Portugal DA - 04.09.2023 KW - Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy KW - Calibration-free analysis KW - Data processing PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58590 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Improved Data Processing for Accurate Plasma Diagnostics and Calibration-Free LIBS N2 - Many applications of LIBS require the measurement of plasma temperature and electron density, which in turn requires knowledge of the integrated line intensity and the shape of the spectral lines. While the integral intensity is preserved as light passes through the spectrometer, the shape emitted by an individual atom or ion is greatly distorted. This is due, firstly, to the transfer of light through the plasma (self-absorption), secondly, to the influence of the instrumental function of the spectrometer, and, thirdly, to the aberrations of the optical system. In addition, processing of spectral information, such as background removal, noise reduction, deconvolution, and line fitting, introduces additional errors in the reconstructed linewidth and line integral, which leads to erroneous temperature and electron density values. This communication will be devoted to the general shortcomings of spectral data processing and the resulting inaccuracies in determining the plasma parameters. The analysis is based on the use of synthetic spectra generated by plasma with known temperature and particle density. The estimation of errors caused by inadequate processing of the spectral data is made by comparing the initial and determined plasma parameters. As a result, an improved data processing method will be proposed that takes into account the spectrum distortion by the instrumental function and integration on the pixel detector. The former is accounted for by convolution (instead of deconvolution) of the estimated line profile using a predetermined slit function, and the latter is achieved by piecewise integration of the line profile by the pixel detector, taking into account the pixel size and uniform or non-uniform pixel separation. Recommendations will be made for which analytic function best approximates the observed spectral lines and examples will be given for the application of this routine to calibration-free LIBS using both synthetic and experimental data. T2 - SciX 2023 CY - Sparks, USA DA - 08.10.2023 KW - Laser induced plasma KW - Calibration-free analysis KW - Plasma modeling KW - Emission spectroscopy PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58591 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Mendez, Cristina A1 - Bordel, Nerea T1 - Investigation of LIBS-RF Plasma for Analytical Spectroscopy N2 - Laser breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a common tool for applications in various fields of science and technology. Originally an atomic analysis technique, LIBS was later extended to molecular analysis due to the transient nature of the laser-induced plasma, which develops from a hot dissociation stage on a nanosecond to several microsecond scale to a relatively cold recombination stage on a scale of 10 to 100 microseconds after breakdown. Molecules formed during the recombination stage or incompletely dissociated after ablation can be efficiently detected, allowing the analysis of "difficult" elements or even molecular isotopes. However, with a small amount of ablated material and a short lifetime of the luminous plasma, analytical signals, especially molecular ones, can be very weak. Several methods have been proposed for reheating the plasma and increasing its lifetime, for example, a two-pulse LIBS or a LIBS combined with microwave radiation or with an electric spark discharge. Here we propose another one, LIBS combined with a capacitively coupled RF discharge at 13.6 MHz. The advantages of this combination are an increase in the lifetime of atomic and molecular emission and operation in a low-pressure atmosphere, which significantly reduces pressure line broadening and allows high-resolution spectroscopy. Another major advantage is operating in a chemically controlled atmosphere that can predictably drive desired chemical reactions. In this presentation, we will show the first results obtained with RF-LIBS combination. These will include separate and joint characterization of LIBS and RF plasmas and evaluation of its potential for elemental and molecular analysis and for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. T2 - SciX 2023 CY - Sparks, USA DA - 08.10.2023 KW - Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy KW - Capacitively coupled discharge KW - RF-LIBS combination KW - Plasma reheating PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58592 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Modeling laser-induced plasma in vacuum and low-pressure co2 atmosphere N2 - The aim of the project is to develop an adequate model of laser induced plasma for conditions expected in space missions, i.e., vacuum, or low-pressure CO2 atmosphere. Numerical modeling will help to find optimal experimental parameters for the laser ablation under artificial lunar or Martian environments and obtain both qualitative, in terms of a composition, and quantitative, in terms of an elemental abundance, information about interrogated samples based on spectral data generated by the model. The best operational conditions will be found at a low cost without conducting tedious and time-consuming optimization experiments. The modeling approaches will be supported by machine learning to accelerate the optimization. T2 - Workshop on DFG project CY - Brno, Czech Republic DA - 10.08.2023 KW - Laser induced plasma KW - CFD computational fluid dynamic KW - Plasma modeling PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58595 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Investigation of a method for the correction of self-absorption by Planck function in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - The electron density and temperature of a laser-induced plasma can be determined from the width and intensity of the spectral lines, provided that the corresponding optical transitions are optically thin. However, the lines in laser induced plasma are often self-absorbed. One of the methods of correction of this effect is based on the use of the Planck function and an iterative numerical calculation of the plasma temperature. In this study, the method is further explored and its inherent errors and limitations are evaluated. For this, synthetic spectra are used that fully correspond to the assumed conditions of a homogeneous isothermal plasma at local thermodynamic equilibrium. Based on the error analysis, the advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed in comparison with other methods of self-absorption correction. KW - LIBS KW - Self-absorption KW - Planck function PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-572677 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D2JA00352J SN - 0267-9477 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-57267 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Völker, Tobias A1 - Wilsch, Gerd A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. A1 - Kratochvilo, L. A1 - Pořízka, P. A1 - Kaiser, J. A1 - Millar, S. A1 - et al., T1 - Interlaboratory comparison for quantitative chlorine analysis in cement pastes with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy N2 - Concrete structures experience severe damage during service, for example due to pitting corrosion of rebars caused by the ingress of chlorine (Cl) into the porous concrete structure. The ingress can be monitored using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a recently introduced civil engineering technique used to detect Cl in concrete structures in addition to conventional wet chemistry methods. The key advantages of LIBS are high spatial resolution, which is important when analyzing heterogeneous concrete samples, as well as the almost complete absence of sample preparation. To assess LIBS as a reliable analytical method, its accuracy and robustness must be carefully tested. This paper presents the results of an interlaboratory comparison on the analysis of Cl in cement paste samples conducted by 12 laboratories in 10 countries. Two sets of samples were prepared with Cl content ranging from 0.06 to 1.95 wt% in the training set and 0.23–1.51 wt% in the test set, with additional variations in the type of cement and Cl source (salt type). The overall result shows that LIBS is suitable for the quantification of the studied samples: the average relative error was generally below 15%. The results demonstrate the true status quo of the LIBS method for this type of analysis, given that the laboratories were not instructed on how to perform the analysis or how to process the data. KW - LIBS KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Round robin test KW - Cement KW - Chlorine PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sab.2023.106632 SN - 0584-8547 VL - 202 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-57102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Modeling Equilibrium Chemistry in Laser Induced Plasmas and Plasma Chemical Reactors N2 - A brief introduction will be given on modeling chemical reactions in laser induced plasmas using stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric approaches. Several applications will be considered, which can benefit from such modeling. Those include plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), surface modification and surface coating, and molecular analysis by LIBS. Each application will be illustrated by simulations of relevant chemical systems. For PECVD, chemical systems are BCl3/H2/Ar, BF3/H2/Ar, BCl3/BF3, Mo/BF3/H2; for surface modification/coating it is Ti/air; for molecular LIBS they are CaCO3/Ar, Ca(OH)2/Ar, and CaCl2/Ar. Advantages and shortcomings of equilibrium chemical hydrodynamic models of laser induced plasmas will be discussed. T2 - 1st NIP Conference National Institute of Physics (IKF), the Albanian Academy of Sciences CY - Online meeting DA - 10.02.2022 KW - Laser ablation KW - Laser induced plasma deposition KW - Surface coating KW - Titanium dioxide KW - Emission spectroscopy KW - Hydrodynamic model KW - Plasma chemistry PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54328 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gornushkin, Igor B. T1 - Plasma Fundamentals and Diagnostics N2 - This course will provide an introduction to plasma diagnostic techniques. The major focus of the course will be on the discussions of the practical procedures as well as the underlying physical principles for the measurements of plasma fundamental characteristics (e.g., temperatures and electron number density). Particular emphasis will be placed on laser induced plasma–atomic emission spectrometry, but other analytical plasmas will also be used as examples when appropriate. Selected examples on how one can manipulate the operating conditions of the plasma source, based on the results of plasma diagnostic measurements, to improve its performance used for spectrochemical analysis will also be covered. Topics to be covered include thermal equilibrium, line profiles, temperatures, electron densities, excitation processes, temporal and spatial resolution. T2 - 2022 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry CY - Tucson, Arizona, USA DA - 17.01.2022 KW - Thermal equilibrium KW - Excitation processes KW - Electron number density KW - Temperatures KW - Spatial information KW - Emission line profiles PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54288 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -