Simulation of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge in $\gamma$ mode
Shang Wan-Li(尚万里)a), Wang De-Zhen(王德真)a)†, and Michael G. Kongb)
a State Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams, Department of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; b Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, U.K.
Abstract The existence of two different discharge modes has been verified in an rf (radio-frequency) atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) by Shi [J. Appl. Phys. 97, 023306 (2005)]. In the first mode, referred to as $\alpha$ mode, the discharge current density is relatively low and the bulk plasma electrons acquire the energy due to the sheath expansion. In the second mode, termed $\gamma$ mode, the discharge current density is relatively high, the secondary electrons emitted by cathode under ion bombardment in the cathode sheath region play an important role in sustaining the discharge. In this paper, a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model for rf APGDs is used to simulate the discharge mechanisms in the $\gamma$ mode in helium discharge between two parallel metallic planar electrodes. The results show that as the applied voltage increases, the discharge current becomes greater and the plasma density correspondingly increases, consequentially the discharge transits from the $\alpha$ mode into the $\gamma$ mode. The high collisionality of the APGD plasma results in significant drop of discharge potential across the sheath region, and the electron Joule heating and the electron collisional energy loss reach their maxima in the region. The validity of the simulation is checked with the available experimental and numerical data.
Received: 08 April 2006
Revised: 09 August 2006
Accepted manuscript online:
Fund: Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos 50528707 and 50537020).
Cite this article:
Shang Wan-Li(尚万里), Wang De-Zhen(王德真), and Michael G. Kong Simulation of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge in $\gamma$ mode 2007 Chinese Physics 16 485
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