Nikola Skoro

Breakdown, scaling and volt-ampere characteristics of low current micro-discharges

We give preliminary results on the breakdown and low current limit of volt‐ampere characteristics of simple parallel plate non-equilibrium dc discharges at standard (centimetre size) and micro-discharge conditions. Experiments with micro-discharges are reported attempting to establish the maintenance of E/N, pd and j/p 2 scalings at small dimensions down to 20 µm. It was found that it may not be possible to obtain properly the left-hand side of the Paschen curve. The possible causes are numerous but we believe that it is possible that long path prevention techniques do not work at high pressures. Nevertheless, the standard scaling laws seem to be maintained down to these dimensions which are consistent with simulations that predict violation of scaling below 10 µm. Volt‐ampere characteristics are also presented and compared with those of the standard size discharges.

Characterization and global modelling of low-pressure hydrogen-based RF plasmas suitable for surface cleaning processes

In this paper we present results of measurements and global modelling of low-pressure inductively coupled H2 plasma which is suitable for surface cleaning applications. The plasma is ignited at 1 Pa in a helicon-type reactor and is characterized using optical emission measurements (optical actinometry) and electrical measurements, namely Langmuir and catalytic probe. By comparing catalytic probe data obtained at the centre of the chamber with optical actinometry results, an approximate calibration of the actinometry method as a semi-quantititative measure of H density was achieved. Coefficients for conversion of actinometric ratios to H densities are tabulated and provided. The approximate validity region of the simple actinometry formula for low-pressure H2 plasma is discussed in the online supplementary data (stacks.iop.org/JPhysD/46/475206/mmedia). Best agreement with catalytic probe results was obtained for (Hβ, Ar750) and (Hβ, Ar811) actinometric line pairs. Additionally, concentrations of electrons and ions as well as plasma potential, electron temperature and ion fluxes were measured in the chamber centre at different plasma powers using a Langmuir probe. Moreover, a global model of an inductively coupled plasma was formulated using a compiled reaction set for H2/Ar gas mixture. The model results compared reasonably well with the results on H atom and charge particle densities and a sensitivity analysis of important input parameters was conducted. The influence of the surface recombination, ionization, and dissociation coefficients, and the ion–neutral collision cross-section on model results was demonstrated.

On the possibility of long path breakdown affecting the Paschen curves for microdischarges

We discuss the effect of electrode shape on Paschen curves and our ability to seal off microdischarges to prevent long path breakdown. It was found that for structured electrodes at high pressures and small gaps, the left-hand side of the Paschen curve is relatively flat, extending the minimum to lower pd values. At high pd values the curves are almost identical to those at standard pressures/gaps and the discharge runs between the top plane of the cathode and the anode. For intermediate pd values the higher electric field at the edge attracts most of the current and the discharge extends along the side wall maintaining the same low breakdown voltage. When the length of the discharge reaches the longest path the voltage starts a rapid increase. We have selected the dimension of the segmented electrode so as to have the same losses to the walls that block or allow the long path breakdown, thus being able to represent situations when the Paschen curve may be properly determined. In general, however, this shows that recording of the left-hand side for open structures (without enclosure by a dielectric) is impossible and conclusions about secondary emission should be focused on the well-defined conditions.

Oscillation modes of direct current microdischarges with parallel-plate geometry

Two different oscillation modes in microdischarge with parallel-plate geometry have been observed: relaxation oscillations with frequency range between 1.23 and 2.1 kHz and free-running oscillations with 7 kHz frequency. The oscillation modes are induced by increasing power supply voltage or discharge current. For a given power supply voltage, there is a spontaneous transition from one to other oscillation mode and vice versa. Before the transition from relaxation to free-running oscillations, the spontaneous increase of oscillation frequency of relaxation oscillations form 1.3 kHz to 2.1 kHz is measured. Fourier transform spectra of relaxation oscillations reveal chaotic behavior of microdischarges. Volt-ampere (V-A) characteristics associated with relaxation oscillations describes periodical transition between low current, diffuse discharge, and normal glow. However, free-running oscillations appear in subnormal glow only.

Axial light emission and Ar metastable densities in a parallel plate dc microdischarge in the steady state and transient regimes

Axial emission profiles in a parallel plate dc microdischarge (feedgas: argon; discharge gap d = 1 mm; pressure p = 10 Torr) were studied by means of time-resolved imaging with a fast ICCD camera. Additionally, volt–ampere (V–A) characteristics were recorded and Ar* metastable densities were measured by tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). Axial emission profiles in the steady-state regime are similar to corresponding profiles in standard size discharges (d ≈ 1 cm, p ≈ 1 Torr). For some discharge conditions relaxation oscillations are present when the microdischarge switches periodically between the low current Townsend-like mode and the normal glow. At the same time the axial emission profile shows transient behavior, starting with peak distribution at the anode, which gradually moves toward the cathode during the normal glow. The development of argon metastable densities highly correlates with the oscillating discharge current. Gas temperatures in the low current Townsend-like mode (Tg = 320–400 K) and the high current glow mode (Tg = 469–526 K) were determined by the broadening of the recorded spectral profiles as a function of the discharge current.

Breakdown and dc discharge in low-pressure water vapour

In this paper we report studies of basic properties of breakdown, low-current Townsend discharge and high-current discharge regimes in water vapour. Paschen curves and the corresponding distributions of emission intensities at low current were recorded in the range of pd (pressure x electrode gap) from 0.1 to 10 Torrcm covering the region of Paschen minimum. From the experimental profiles we obtained effective ionization coefficient of water vapour for the E/N range 650 Td–7 kTd and fitted the results by using the extended Townsend analytical formula. Using the obtained ionization coefficient, we calculated the effective yield of secondary electrons from the copper cathode. Results of the measurements of Volt-Ampere characteristics in water vapour were presented together with the images of the axial structure of the discharge in a wide range of discharge currents for two pd values. Recorded profiles showed development of the spatial structure of the discharge in different operating regimes. We were able to identify conditions where processes induced by heavy particles, probably fast hydrogen atoms, are dominant in inducing emission from the discharge. Finally, standard scaling laws were tested for low current and glow discharges in water vapour.

Influence of the cathode surface conditions on V?A characteristics in low-pressure nitrogen discharge

In this paper we demonstrate and analyse the influence of cathode surface inhomogeneities on the breakdown, volt?ampere (V?A) characteristics and the spatial structure of the low-pressure non-equilibrium discharges. The idea for this work came from the need to explain the non-typical V?A characteristics (positive slope of the characteristics in low-current regime of the discharge) that we observed in a parallel-plate, dc discharge in nitrogen. It was found that the cathode was locally conditioned by the discharge that operated in the constricted glow regime. Spatial inhomogeneity of the cathode surface strongly affected the subsequent operation in the breakdown-Townsend regime where discharge is supposed to be uniform.

New phenomenology of gas breakdown in DC and RF fields

This paper follows a review lecture on the new developments in the field of gas breakdown and low current discharges, usually covered by a form of Townsends theory and phenomenology. It gives an overview of a new approach to identifying which feedback agents provide breakdown, how to model gas discharge conditions and reconcile the results with binary experiments and how to employ that knowledge in modelling gas discharges. The next step is an illustration on how to record volt-ampere characteristics and use them on one hand to obtain the breakdown voltage and, on the other, to identify the regime of operation and model the secondary electron yields. The second aspect of this section concerns understanding the different regimes, their anatomy, how those are generated and how free running oscillations occur. While temporal development is the most useful and interesting part of the new developments, the difficulty of presenting the data in a written form precludes an easy publication and discussion. Thus, we shall only mention some of the results that stem from these measurements. Most micro discharges operate in DC albeit with complex geometries. Thus, parallel plate micro discharge measurements were needed to establish that Townsends theory, with all its recent extensions, is still valid until some very small gaps. We have shown, for example, how a long-path breakdown puts in jeopardy many experimental observations and why a flat left-hand side of the Paschen curve often does not represent good physics. We will also summarize a kinetic representation of the RF breakdown revealing a somewhat more complex picture than the standard model. Finally, we will address briefly the breakdown in radially inhomogeneous conditions and how that affects the measured properties of the discharge. This review has the goal of summarizing (rather than developing details of) the current status of the low-current DC discharges formation and operation as a discipline which, in spite of its very long history, is developing rapidly.

Effective Discharge Area of Nonequilibrium DC Discharges

Intensified charge-coupled device images are used to determine an effective discharge area in low-pressure DC discharges. We show radial emission profiles for all typical regimes of low-pressure discharge - dark Townsend discharge, constricted normal glow, and abnormal glow discharge. These data are used to obtain current densities in a wide range of conditions, which is essential for a proper scaling of discharge parameters.

Spatiotemporal Profile of Emission From Oscillating DC Microdischarges

The axial light distributions in parallel-plate dc microdischarges in argon show similar behavior to large-scale discharges. Between the low-current Townsend mode and the high-current glow mode exists a large region of currents where different oscillations appear and the dynamic volt-ampere characteristic shows hysteresis behavior. During the oscillations, the maximum peak intensity moves closer to the cathode, which is characteristic for the abnormal glow regime even though the average current is considerably smaller.