Magnetic control of breakdown: Toward energy-efficient hollow-cathode magnetron discharges

Journal Article · Tue Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3553853· OSTI ID:21538160

Baranov, O; Romanov, M ^[1]; Kumar, S ^[2]; Zong, X X ^[3]; Ostrikov, K ^[2]

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1. National Aerospace University 'KhAI', Kharkov, 61070 (Ukraine)
2. Plasma Nanoscience Centre Australia (PNCA), CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, P.O. Box 218, Lindfield NSW 2070 (Australia)
3. Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

Characteristics of electrical breakdown of a planar magnetron enhanced with an electromagnet and a hollow-cathode structure, are studied experimentally and numerically. At lower pressures the breakdown voltage shows a dependence on the applied magnetic field, and the voltage necessary to achieve the self-sustained discharge regime can be significantly reduced. At higher pressures, the dependence is less sensitive to the magnetic field magnitude and shows a tendency of increased breakdown voltage at the stronger magnetic fields. A model of the magnetron discharge breakdown is developed with the background gas pressure and the magnetic field used as parameters. The model describes the motion of electrons, which gain energy by passing the electric field across the magnetic field and undergo collisions with neutrals, thus generating new bulk electrons. The electrons are in turn accelerated in the electric field and effectively ionize a sufficient amount of neutrals to enable the discharge self-sustainment regime. The model is based on the assumption about the combined classical and near-wall mechanisms of electron conductivity across the magnetic field, and is consistent with the experimental results. The obtained results represent a significant advance toward energy-efficient multipurpose magnetron discharges.

• OSTI ID: 21538160
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 109; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AMPLIFICATION
BREAKDOWN
CATHODES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROMAGNETS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EVALUATION
GAIN
GLOW DISCHARGES
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
HOLLOW CATHODES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETRONS
MAGNETS
MICROSCOPY
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
PLASMA
SPUTTERING
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY