Study of spectral features and depth distributions of boron layers on tungsten substrates by ps-LIBS in a vacuum environment

Abstract

Boronization is used in present-devices as wall condition technique due to its effectiveness in reducing oxygen and other impurities in the vessel as well as improving plasma performance. The technique is also currently under consideration as wall conditioning method for the proposed full-tungsten (W) wall of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). However, the impact of the deposited Boron (B) layer thickness, and its homogeneity after the boronization process is uncertain as well as knowledge about the layer lifetime and improved conditions. In this study, an approach of the picosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (ps-LIBS) is investigated to analyze the depth distribution of B-films on W-substrates by using three optical spectrometers in a vacuum environment. The depth distribution of two types of B-films on W-substrates with the thicknesses of 130 nm and 260 nm were sequentially measured under different laser spot sizes (varying the laser fluence). The B-films on the W-substrates were made by magnetron sputtering to simulate the thin B layers during the boronization. The measured average ablation rate of ps-LIBS shows a notable decrease with increasing laser spot size. Additionally, the spectral lines of B and W exhibit distinct intensity distributions under different spot sizes due to the different excitation thresholds of the B-films and the W-substrates. The interface between B-films and W-substrates, as well as the thickness of the B-films, were determined using the normalized intensity and intensity ratio method, respectively. The results from ps-LIBS measurements regarding the depth are in good agreement with those obtained through the Focused Ion Beam combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). These initial findings verify the feasibility to characterize the thickness and uniformity of thin B films in the order of 100 nm and below on W-substrates using ps-LIBS.