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My research interests include modeling and simulation of nonequilibrium plasmas used for materials processing. These plasmas are weakly ionized at low pressures by external power sources. We use Semiconductor Equipment Modeling Software (SEMS), developed in-house, to model these plasmas. SEMS has the capability of simulating inductive, capacitive, and wave heated discharges. It can also be used to model bulk plasma and simultaneously resolve thin sheath layer, where ion acceleration is maximum and the electrical properties are critical. A separate Maxwell's solver allows us to simulate wave propagation problems as well. It has been tested for helicon wave heating in magnetized inductive plasmas. New capabilities are continuously being added to this package. Due to the modular nature of this code, SEMS can be adapted with relatively small effort to be useful in other computational mechanics problems.
In order to improve the predictive capability of SEMS, I am also involved in theoretical model development for non-collisional radio frequency biased sheaths based on an accurate representation of ion dynamics in rapidly oscillating conditions. Sheaths are an essential component of nonequilibrium plasma simulation and are often the most difficult to self-consistently model.
I also work on sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of plasma systems. Since a successful plasma simulation depends on the validity of the input molecular, kinetics, and thermochemical data, it is critical to ascertain the uncertainty in the model outputs caused by the uncertainties in the input data. This helps us to isolate the critical input variables and analyze their reliability before we compare model results with experimental determinations.
More technical details on any of the above can be found in my relevant publications listed on this page.
Email: bose@dm2.arc.nasa.gov
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