Abstract

The use of fused silica material is crucial in various scientific applications; however, its chemical inertness and brittle nature pose challenges to machining and fabrication processes. The present study introduced a dynamic plasma flow system for medium-pressure plasma processing of fused silica substrate to address this issue. The results indicate that the new plasma flow system can significantly enhance the material removal rate compared to existing systems, with a 300% increase in material removal rate. Importantly, this process enables a sustained linear material removal rate, essential for long process durations. Despite the higher material removal rate, there is no deterioration in surface finish observed, and in fact, an improvement in surface integrity is noted after plasma processing. Confocal Raman microscopy characterization further confirms this improvement, revealing reduced stress-induced defect peaks compared to a confined plasma system.

中文翻译：

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熔融石英的中压等离子体加工：材料去除率的比较研究

摘要

熔融石英材料的使用在各种科学应用中至关重要；然而，其化学惰性和脆性给机械加工和制造工艺带来了挑战。本研究引入了一种用于熔融石英基板的中压等离子体处理的动态等离子体流系统来解决这个问题。结果表明，与现有系统相比，新型等离子流系统可以显着提高材料去除率，材料去除率提高了300%。重要的是，该工艺能够实现持续的线性材料去除率，这对于长工艺持续时间至关重要。尽管材料去除率较高，但并未观察到表面光洁度的恶化，事实上，等离子处理后表面完整性有所改善。共焦拉曼显微镜表征进一步证实了这一改进，揭示了与受限等离子体系统相比，应力引起的缺陷峰减少。