Space structure of RF capacitive discharges

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:419669

Yatsenko, N A ^[1]

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1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). Inst. for Problems in Mechanics

The space structure of RF capacitive discharges along the direction of a current is well known today. The most important features of it are the following. (1) RF capacitive discharge has the sheath structure along the direction of a current. Moreover, near electrode sheaths have a double function: (a) they provide identical number of charges of an opposite sign, getting to each electrode for one period of RF field, and (b) they determine the parameters of a plasma column by self-organizing of stable stationary conditions in the system near electrode sheaths-plasma column. (2) The sheaths can have different physical nature, depending on value U{sub S}-RF voltage upon them. The sheaths can be not self-sustained at U{sub S} < U{sub BR} and self sustained at U{sub S} > U{sub BR}. In this work an interesting and not investigated phenomenon in which both mentioned above modes of discharge exist simultaneously in one interelectrode gap, is considered. Besides academic interest, this phenomenon is significant for all practical applications, in which uniformity of discharge along the surface of extended electrodes is important (for example, in gas lasers with transverse RF excitation, in plasma technology, etc). New experimental data about phenomenon of coexistence of two forms of RF discharge in one interelectrode gap were received.

• OSTI ID: 419669
• Report Number(s): CONF-960634--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
HIGH-FREQUENCY DISCHARGES
MORPHOLOGY
PLASMA SHEATH
PLASMOIDS
USES