PNNL

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the role of target-derived and airborne oxygen on AlO formation in plasmas generated from Al and Al2O3 targets in air and argon, respectively, to elucidate the influence of shockwaves on gas-phase oxidation. Our results highlight that gas-phase oxidation occurs early during the evolution of Al2O3 plasmas in argon, in contrast to Al plasmas in air, where the shockwave acts as a barrier, mediating the plasma chemistry.