Glow discharge

About: Glow discharge is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 15095 publications have been published within this topic receiving 223874 citations. The topic is also known as: glow discharge.

Gas Discharge Physics

Abstract: 1. Introduction.- 1.1 What Is the Subject of Gas Discharge Physics.- 1.2 Typical Discharges in a Constant Electric Field.- 1.3 Classification of Discharges.- 1.4 Brief History of Electric Discharge Research.- 1.5 Organization of the Book. Bibliography.- 2. Drift, Energy and Diffusion of Charged Particles in Constant Fields.- 2.1 Drift of Electrons in a Weakly Ionized Gas.- 2.2 Conduction of Ionized Gas.- 2.3 Electron Energy.- 2.4 Diffusion of Electrons.- 2.5 Ions.- 2.6 Ambipolar Diffusion.- 2.7 Electric Current in Plasma in the Presence of Longitudinal Gradients of Charge Density.- 2.8 Hydrodynamic Description of Electrons.- 3. Interaction of Electrons in an Ionized Gas with Oscillating Electric Field and Electromagnetic Waves.- 3.1 The Motion of Electrons in Oscillating Fields.- 3.2 Electron Energy.- 3.3 Basic Equations of Electrodynamics of Continuous Media.- 3.4 High-Frequency Conductivity and Dielectric Permittivity of Plasma.- 3.5 Propagation of Electromagnetic, Waves in Plasmas.- 3.6 Total Reflection of Electromagnetic Waves from Plasma and Plasma Oscillations.- 4. Production and Decay of Charged Particles.- 4.1 Electron Impact Ionization in a Constant Field.- 4.2 Other Ionization Mechanisms.- 4.3 Bulk Recombination.- 4.4 Formation and Decay of Negative Ions.- 4.5 Diffusional Loss of Charges.- 4.6 Electron Emission from Solids.- 4.7 Multiplication of Charges in a Gas via Secondary Emission.- 5. Kinetic Equation for Electrons in a Weakly Ionized Gas Placed in an Electric Field.- 5.1 Description of Electron Processes in Terms of the Velocity Distribution Function.- 5.2 Formulation of the Kinetic Equation.- 5.3 Approximation for the Angular Dependence of the Distribution Function.- 5.4 Equation of the Electron Energy Spectrum.- 5.5 Validity Criteria for the Spectrum Equation.- 5.6 Comparison of Some Conclusions Implied by the Kinetic Equation with the Result of Elementary Theory.- 5.7 Stationary Spectrum of Electrons in a Field in the Case of only Elastic Losses.- 5.8 Numerical Results for Nitrogen and Air.- 5.9 Spatially Nonuniform Fields of Arbitrary Strength.- 6. Electric Probes.- 6.1 Introduction. Electric Circuit.- 6.2 Current-Voltage Characteristic of a Single Probe.- 6.3 Theoretical Foundations of Electronic Current Diagnostics of Rarefied Plasmas.- 6.4 Procedure for Measuring the Distribution Function.- 6.5 Ionic Current to a Probe in Rarefied Plasma.- 6.6 Vacuum Diode Current and Space-Charge Layer Close to a Charged Body.- 6.7 Double Probe.- 6.8 Probe in a High-Pressure Plasma.- 7. Breakdown of Gases in Fields of Various Frequency Ranges.- 7.1 Essential Characteristics of the Phenomenon.- 7.2 Breakdown and Triggering of Self-Sustained Discharge in a Constant Homogeneous Field at Moderately Large Product of Pressure and Discharge Gap Width.- 7.3 Breakdown in Microwave Fields and Interpretation of Experimental Data Using the Elementary Theory.- 7.4 Calculation of Ionization Frequencies and Breakdown Thresholds Using the Kinetic Equation.- 7.5 Optical Breakdown.- 7.6 Methods of Exciting an RF Field in a Discharge Volume.- 7.7 Breakdown in RF and Low-Frequency Ranges.- 8. Stable Glow Discharge.- 8.1 General Structure and Observable Features.- 8.2 Current-Voltage Characteristic of Discharge Between Electrodes.- 8.3 Dark Discharge and the Role Played by Space Charge in the Formation of the Cathode Layer.- 8.4 Cathode Layer.- 8.5 Transition Region Between the Cathode Layer and the Homogeneous Positive Column.- 8.6 Positive Column.- 8.7 Heating of the Gas and Its Effect on the Current-Voltage Characteristic.- 8.8 Electronegative Gas Plasma.- 8.9 Discharge in Fast Gas Flow.- 8.10 Anode Layer.- 9. Glow Discharge Instabilities and Their Consequences.- 9.1 Causes and Consequences of Instabilities.- 9.2 Quasisteady Parameters.- 9.3 Field and Electron Temperature Perturbations in the Case of Quasisteady-State Te.- 9.4 Thermal Instability.- 9.5 Attachment Instability.- 9.6 Some Other Frequently Encountered Destabilizing Mechanisms.- 9.7 Striations.- 9.8 Contraction of the Positive Column.- 10. Arc Discharge.- 10.1 Definition and Characteristic Features of Arc Discharge.- 10.2 Arc Types.- 10.3 Arc Initiation.- 10.4 Carbon Arc in Free Air.- 10.5 Hot Cathode Arc: Processes near the Cathode.- 10.6 Cathode Spots and Vacuum Arc.- 10.7 Anode Region.- 10.8 Low-Pressure Arc with Externally Heated Cathode.- 10.9 Positive Column of High-Pressure Arc (Experimental Data).- 10.10 Plasma Temperature and V - i Characteristic of High-Pressure Arc Columns.- 10.11 The Gap Between Electron and Gas Temperatures in "Equilibrium" Plasma.- 11. Suslainment and Production of Equilibrium Plasma by Fields in Various Frequency Ranges.- 11.1 Introduction. Energy Balance in Plasma.- 11.2 Arc Column in a Constant Field.- 11.3 Inductively Coupled Radio-Frequency Discharge.- 11.4 Discharge in Microwave Fields.- 11.5 Continuous Optical Discharges.- 11.6 Plasmatrons: Generators of Dense Low-Temperature Plasma.- 12. Spark and Corona Discharges.- 12.1 General Concepts.- 12.2 Individual Electron Avalanche.- 12.3 Concept of Streamers.- 12.4 Breakdown and Streamers in Electronegative Gases (Air) in Moderately Wide Gaps with a Uniform Field.- 12.5 Spark Channel.- 12.6 Corona Discharge.- 12.7 Models of Streamer Propagation.- 12.8 Breakdown in Long Air Gaps with Strongly Nonuniform Fields (Experimental Data).- 12.9 Leader Mechanism of Breakdown of Long Gaps.- 12.10 Return Wave (Return Stroke).- 12.11 Lightning.- 12.12 Negative Stepped Leader.- 13. Capacitively Coupled Radio-Frequency Discharge.- 13.1 Drift Oscillations of Electron Gas.- 13.2 Idealized Model of the Passage of High-Frequency Current Through a Long Plane Gap at Elevated Pressures.- 13.3 V - i Characteristic of Homogeneous Positive Columns.- 13.4 Two Forms of CCRF Discharge Realization and Constant Positive Potential of Space: Experiment.- 13.5 Electrical Processes in a Nonconducting Electrode Layer and the Mechanism of Closing the Circuit Current.- 13.6 Constant Positive Potential of the Weak-Current Discharge Plasma.- 13.7 High-Current Mode.- 13.8 The Structure of a Medium-Pressure Discharge: Results of Numerical Modeling.- 13.9 Normal Current Density in Weak-Current Mode and Limits on the Existence of this Mode.- 14. Discharges in High-Power CW CO2 Lasers.- 14.1 Principles of Operation of Electric-Discharge CO2 Lasers.- 14.2 Two Methods of Heat Removal from Lasers.- 14.3 Methods of Suppressing Instabilities.- 14.4 Organization of Large-Volume Discharges Involving Gas Pumping.- References.

Reversible conductivity changes in discharge‐produced amorphous Si

Abstract: A new reversible photoelectronic effect is reported for amorphous Si produced by glow discharge of SiH4. Long exposure to light decreases both the photoconductivity and the dark conductivity, the latter by nearly four orders of magnitude. Annealing above 150 °C reverses the process. A model involving optically induced changes in gap states is proposed. The results have strong implications for both the physical nature of the material and for its applications in thin‐film solar cells, as well as the reproducibility of measurements on discharge‐produced Si.

The atmospheric-pressure plasma jet: a review and comparison to other plasma sources

Abstract: Atmospheric-pressure plasmas are used in a variety of materials processes. Traditional sources include transferred arcs, plasma torches, corona discharges, and dielectric barrier discharges. In arcs and torches, the electron and neutral temperatures exceed 3000/spl deg/C and the densities of charge species range from 10/sup 16/-10/sup 19/ cm/sup -3/. Due to the high gas temperature, these plasmas are used primarily in metallurgy. Corona and dielectric barrier discharges produce nonequilibrium plasmas with gas temperatures between 50-400/spl deg/C and densities of charged species typical of weakly ionized gases. However, since these discharges are nonuniform, their use in materials processing is limited. Recently, an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet has been developed, which exhibits many characteristics of a conventional, low-pressure glow discharge. In the jet, the gas temperature ranges from 25-200/spl deg/C, charged-particle densities are 10/sup 11/-10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/, and reactive species are present in high concentrations, i.e., 10-100 ppm. Since this source may be scaled to treat large areas, it could be used in applications which have been restricted to vacuum. In this paper, the physics and chemistry of the plasma jet and other atmospheric-pressure sources are reviewed.

Amorphous silicon solar cell

Abstract: Thin film solar cells, ∼1 μm thick, have been fabricated from amorphous silicon deposited from a glow discharge in silane. The cells were made in a p‐i‐n structure by using doping gases in the discharge. The best power conversion efficiency to date is 2.4% in AM‐1 sunlight. The maximum efficiency of thin‐film amorphous silicon solar cells is estimated to be ∼14–15%.

Experimental and theoretical study of a glow discharge at atmospheric pressure controlled by dielectric barrier

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to confirm the existence of atmospheric pressure dielectric controlled glow discharge and to describe its main behavior. Electrical measurements, short time exposure photographs, and numerical modeling were used to achieve this task. Experimental observations and numerical simulation are in good agreement. Therefore, the analysis of the calculated space and time variations of the electric field together with the ion and electron densities helps to explain the discharge mechanisms involved, showing the main role played by the electron as well as helium metastable density just before the discharge is turned on.