Plasma stability control using dielectric barriers in radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharges

Journal Article · Mon Aug 21 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2338647· OSTI ID:20883175

Shi, J J; Liu, D W; Kong, M G ^[1]

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1. Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom)

It is widely accepted that electrode insulation is unnecessary for generating radio-frequency (rf) atmospheric pressure glow discharges (APGDs). It is also known that rf APGDs with large discharge current are susceptible to the glow-to-arc transition. In this letter, a computational study is presented to demonstrate that dielectric barriers provide an effective control over unlimited current growth and allow rf APGDs to be operated at very high current densities with little danger of the glow-to-arc transition. Characteristics of electrode sheaths are used to show that the stability control is achieved by forcing the plasma-containing electrode unit to acquire positive differential conductivity.

• OSTI ID: 20883175
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 89, Issue 8; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2338647; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CURRENT DENSITY
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRODES
GLOW DISCHARGES
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
PLASMA
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SHEATH
RADIOWAVE RADIATION