Experimental Study of Particle Exhaust Driven by Photon Momentum in a Dusty Plasmas under Semiconductor Processing Conditions

Photon momentum plays an important role in regulating dust transport in astrophysical plasmas, such as the formation of comet tails under solar radiation pressure. In semiconductor processing systems, particles ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size are produced by plasma-induced erosion of chamber walls and gas phase nucleation. The trapped particles tend to accumulate near the sheath above the electrode where semiconductor wafer is placed, resulting in localized dusty plasma environments. In this study, a high-power laser was used to irradiate such trapped particles in the low-pressure plasmas, leading to observable particle displacement and exhaust driven by photon momentum. This study presents an experimental demonstration of photon-induced particle transport under semiconductor processing conditions, offering insight into non-invasive dust control and providing a laboratory analogy to radiation pressure effects observed in space plasmas.