Plasma Nozzle for Hard Material Polishing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for polishing hard materials like SiC, GaN, or diamond substrates face inefficiencies due to activation loss and power loss when generating plasma in a gas, which reduces the utilization efficiency of the activated gas and affects the polishing process.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle design that includes a liquid flow passage, a gas flow passage, and a plasma generating mechanism with a first electrode exposed to the liquid and a second electrode not exposed to the liquid, allowing plasma generation in the gas fed into the liquid without direct electrode immersion, reducing activation and power losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a gas activated by generated plasma is produced in advance and mixed with a polishing liquid, then the gas can be supplied to the liquid, but the activation loss of the activated gas increases and the utilization efficiency reduces
Solution Approach 1:
The gas is activated immediately before being supplied to the liquid through the plasma generating mechanism, rather than being activated in advance. This timing optimization reduces activation loss by maintaining the activated state of the gas until it contacts the liquid, thereby improving utilization efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The plasma generating mechanism is positioned to generate plasma directly at the gas flow passage, extracting the activation process from a separate pre-treatment step. This integration eliminates the delay between activation and liquid contact, reducing activation loss and improving efficiency
2Power
If discharge is caused in a polishing liquid including a gas with a pair of electrodes dipped in the liquid, then plasma can be generated in the liquid, but electric current directly flows through the liquid and power loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas acts as an intermediary medium for plasma generation. The plasma generating mechanism generates plasma in the gas phase, which then contacts the liquid without requiring direct current flow through the liquid. This intermediary approach enables effective plasma-liquid interaction while minimizing power loss
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional direct electrical discharge method in liquid is replaced with a plasma generation method in gas phase. This substitution eliminates the need for current to flow directly through the liquid, significantly reducing power loss while maintaining plasma generation effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables efficient plasma generation in the liquid, reducing activation and power losses, and enhances the polishing efficiency of hard materials like SiC, GaN, or diamond by using plasma micro/nano bubbles, improving the polishing rate and reproducibility.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma generating mechanism for generating plasma in the gas fed from the gas flow passage to the liquid flow passage
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle according to the invention includes a liquid flow passage through which a liquid flows, a gas flow passage through which a gas flows, the gas flow passage communicating with the liquid flow passage and feeding the gas to the liquid flow passage, and a plasma generating mechanism for generating plasma in the gas fed from the gas flow passage to the liquid flow passage, in which the plasma generating mechanism includes a first electrode provided so as to be exposed to an inside of the liquid flow passage, a second electrode provided so as not to be exposed to the inside of the liquid flow passage and so as to be exposed to an inside of the gas flow passage, and a power source for applying a predetermined voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode, and in which the liquid with which the gas including the generated plasma is mixed as bubbles having a predetermined diameter is spouted.