Direct current high-pressure glow discharges

Citation
Rh. Stark et Kh. Schoenbach, Direct current high-pressure glow discharges, J APPL PHYS, 85(4), 1999, pp. 2075-2080
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
ISSN journal
00218979 → ACNP
Volume
85
Issue
4
Year of publication
1999
Pages
2075 - 2080
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-8979(19990215)85:4<2075:DCHGD>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
Stabilization and control of a high-pressure glow discharge by means of a m icrohollow cathode discharge has been demonstrated. The microhollow cathode discharge, which is sustained between two closely spaced electrodes with o penings of approximately 100 mu m diam, serves as plasma cathode for the hi gh-pressure glow. Small variations in the microhollow cathode discharge vol tage generate large variations in the microhollow cathode discharge current and consequently in the glow discharge current. In this mode of operation the electrical characteristic of this system of coupled discharges resemble s that of a vacuum triode. Using the microhollow cathode discharge as plasm a cathode it was possible to generate stable, direct current discharges in argon up to atmospheric pressure, with estimated electron densities in the range from 10(11) to 10(12) cm(-3). The recently demonstrated parallel oper ation of these discharges indicates the potential of this technique for the generation of large volume plasmas at high gas pressure through superposit ion of individual glow discharges. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)07304-1].