RADIOFREQUENCY CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE IN A LONG STRIP LINE

A transverse RF discharge of very high frequency between long strip el ectrodes is modeled considering the influence local discharge characte ristics on the voltage distribution along the strip line. Computations are made for typical laser mixtures since such systems are used for C O2-lasers. It is shown that the discharge fills the whole interelectro de volume at low pressures. But at the pressure usually used for laser s, the discharge can cover the confined regions along the electrodes o nly as an RF a-discharge with normal current density. The theory allow s one to choose correctly parameters for slotted CO2-lasers, providing a more homogeneous active laser medium in the interelectrode space.