Experimental study of nanoparticle formation dynamics in HMDSO-Ar asymmetric capacitively-coupled radiofrequency plasma with application to deposition of nanocomposite layers

Rational engineering of nanocomposite thin layers, deposited in reactive plasmas, requires knowledge on the plasma behaviour in order to design the structural and electrical properties of the deposits. It opens the way for transition from material level of development to system level of applications. This work presents experimental study of nanoparticle formation dynamics in the plasma gas phase, along with the plasma parameters, linked to the composition of the synthesized nanoparticles before their incorporation in plasma deposits. It is found that by controlling the plasma electron temperature and density one can finely tune the nanoparticle composition as a function of reactive gas mixture.