Title: Direct current microplasma formation around microstructure arrays

Abstract

We demonstrate the formation and transition behaviors of a microplasma around microstructure arrays at different gas pressures via two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations. It is found that the microdischarge occurs outside the cathode microcavities at the lowest pressure and starts penetrating the microcavities with a curved sheath edge as the pressure increases. At higher pressure, coupled periodic microhollow cathode discharges (MHCDs) are formed inside the microcavities. Further increasing the gas pressure results in the disappearance of the MHCDs, and the dominant discharge shifts outside of the microcavity, locating above the protrusion tips. The effect of the space charge shielding on the discharge and the conditions for MHCD formation are discussed. The macroscopic discharge parameter scalings with the gas pressure and the electron kinetics are also examined. The results are helpful for deeply understanding the microplasma formation with nonplanar electrodes, which inform the scaling, design, and optimization of microplasma array devices across a wide range of pressure regimes in practical applications.

Authors:

Fu, Yangyang  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-9593-3177"

Wang, Huihui  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Wang, Huihui"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-4052-1287"

Zheng, Bocong  ^[3];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-6052-3693"

Zhang, Peng  ^[4];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0606-6855"

Fan, Qi Hua  ^[5];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8612-1326"

Wang, Xinxin  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-3564-6816"

Verboncoeur, John P.  ^[6]

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-7078-3544"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Tsinghua University, Beijing (China). Department of Electrical Engineering
2. EMD Performance Materials, Tempe, AZ (United States)
3. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies
4. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
5. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies; Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
6. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (United States). Department of Computational Mathematics, Science and Engineering

Publication Date:

Mon Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:

Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

OSTI Identifier:

1850774

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1780509

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0001939; A9550-18-1-0062; FA9550-18-1-0061; 1917577; 1724941; 51777114

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Applied Physics Letters

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 118; Journal Issue: 17; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

42 ENGINEERING; Physics