Application of Mn nano-flower sculptured thin films produced on interdigitated pattern as cathode and anode electrodes in field ionization gas sensor

The photolitography method was used for producing interdigitated configurations for cathode and anode electrodes of a field ionization gas sensor in which Mn helical nano-flowers with 3-fold symmetry were deposited using oblique angle deposition together with rotation of the substrate about its surface normal, with each rotation divided into six sections. These sections were alternately rotated at high and low speeds. Three different distances were chosen in the design between anode and cathode electrodes, namely 40, 100 and 200 μm. Physical structure and morphology of electrodes were studied by field emission scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope analyses.The breakdown voltage of the system was studied for nitrogen, oxygen, argon, air and carbon mono-oxide gases. Investigations with these gases at different distances between anode and cathode and different gas pressures confirmed Paschen's Law. Results showed that at low pressures, decreasing the gap between electrodes increases the breakdown voltage. With fewer gas molecules between the electrodes the number of interactions between particles is reduced and higher energies are required for ionization of gas molecules. At high pressures, the breakdown voltage is decreased because of an increased number of molecular interactions. The sensor demonstrated good selectivity between the different gases and selectivity was enhanced with increasing gas pressure. A direct relationship was found at low pressures (e.g., 0.1 mbar) between the breakdown voltage and the gas ionization energy while at high pressures (e.g., 1000 mbar) this relationship was reversed.     

Glow discharge cleaning of vacuum switch tubes

To clean the surfaces of parts inside a vacuum-switch tube (VST) the authors propose a technique which generates a glow discharge between the inner electrodes and the copper grid surrounding it. Photographic observation reveals that the glow discharge spreads out and cleans the whole surface inside the VST. A breakdown test between the inner electrodes shows the effect of the cleaning with this technique. Higher breakdown voltage between the inner electrodes is attained by performing this glow discharge cleaning in argon rather than hydrogen gas. The difference of the cleaning effect seems to be attributed to that of the energy transfer from ion species to the adsorbed molecules and microprotrusions on the surfaces     

实验研究大气压多脉冲辉光放电的模式和机理

采用稍不平行电极进行大气压He气介质阻挡多脉冲辉光放电实验,通过增强电子耦合器件相机短时曝光照片,研究大气压多脉冲辉光放电在不同时刻的放电模式.通过气隙放电电流、表面电荷计算,理论分析了表面电荷、空间电荷、外加电压与气隙电场强度的关系,研究大气压辉光放电形成多脉冲的机理.实验结果表明,放电首先在间隙稍窄的电极左端开始;在第一个脉冲电流峰值,电极右端也开始放电;第一个电流脉冲经历了Townsend放电到辉光放电的过程;电流脉冲之间的时间内,间隙一直维持着微弱的辉光放电;随后的每个电流脉冲均是辉光放电.理论分析表明,大气压辉光放电的多个电流脉冲是表面电荷、空间电荷与外加电压共同演化的结果;除放电伊始出现Townsend放电外,同一半周期内的放电电流脉冲中不会再出现Townsend放电. 关键词： 介质阻挡放电 增强电子耦合器件 大气压辉光放电 多脉冲     

实验研究大气压多脉冲辉光放电的模式和机理

采用稍不平行电极进行大气压He气介质阻挡多脉冲辉光放电实验,通过增强电子耦合器件相机短时曝光照片,研究大气压多脉冲辉光放电在不同时刻的放电模式.通过气隙放电电流、表面电荷计算,理论分析了表面电荷、空间电荷、外加电压与气隙电场强度的关系,研究大气压辉光放电形成多脉冲的机理.实验结果表明,放电首先在间隙稍窄的电极左端开始;在第一个脉冲电流峰值,电极右端也开始放电;第一个电流脉冲经历了Townsend放电到辉光放电的过程;电流脉冲之间的时间内,间隙一直维持着微弱的辉光放电;随后的每个电流脉冲均是辉光放电.理论分析表明,大气压辉光放电的多个电流脉冲是表面电荷、空间电荷与外加电压共同演化的结果;除放电伊始出现Townsend放电外,同一半周期内的放电电流脉冲中不会再出现Townsend放电.     

Nanosecond volume gas discharge in a flow with gasdynamic discontinuities

Experimental results concerning the interaction of pulsed volume ionization with the supersonic gas flow in a shock tube are described. The spatiotemporal and spectral characteristics of a nanosecond volume discharge plasma with ultraviolet preionization from plasma electrodes are presented. It is shown that the ionization region can be localized using gasdynamic discontinuities. The coincidence of the glow region with the discharge energy release region is discussed.     

Characteristics of surface glow discharge in a low-pressure supersonic gas flow

Kinetic particle-in-cell simulations are performed to examine the characteristics of the surface glow discharge in a supersonic nitrogen flow. The gas pressure is varied between 100 and 500 mTorr; the applied voltage, between −500 and −1000 V. The analysis focuses on the effect of boundary conditions at the dielectric barrier surrounding the electrodes on the electron energy distribution function. The potential on the dielectric is found by using a local balance condition for the electron and ion currents to the surface. The results of self-consistent simulations show that a negative potential on the dielectric substantially reduces the rate of high-energy electron loss from the bulk plasma and thus significantly changes the ionization rate, as well as plasma parameters and configuration.     

Air breakdown times of two-stage spark gaps and their applications

The air breakdown times of second spark formation, geometrically in series with trigatron switching, are studied and compared to that of a triggered spark gap. Despite a large breakdown jitter of ⩾1 μs in the trigatron, the latter is not observed to affect the electrical closure times of the series-connected second spark gap, which is triggered largely as a result of their direct electrical and optical coupling. While most of the multistage spark gaps are designed for fast and precision switching of high voltages, the air breakdown times of the second spark formation find a number of useful applications, particularly in achieving uniform glow discharge in pulsed gas lasers     

Dc breakdown of low pressure gas in long tubes

The gas breakdown was experimentally investigated in dc electrical field in long discharge tubes. The measurements were performed in the tube of radius R=4 mm, whereas the inter-electrode gap values varied in the range L=2-230 mm. The conventional Paschen law was shown to hold in short discharge tubes for which L/R?1. At L/R>1 the breakdown curves Udc(p) are shifted not only to lower pressure p values but also to higher dc voltage Udc values with the gap value increasing, i.e., one must employ the modified law of gas breakdown Udc(pL,L/R). However in long tubes the breakdown curve pattern experiences qualitative changes. At L/R>20 increasing L makes the dc breakdown curves to shift to higher Udc values, their minima being observed almost at the same gas pressure value. That is, for small gaps with increasing distance between the electrodes, the breakdown curves shift to the left on the scale of the gas pressure at a constant voltage at the minimum, and for long tubes with increasing distance between the electrodes, the breakdown curves shift upward on the scale of the voltage with the same gas pressure at the minimum. Theoretical treatment reveals that for gas breakdown in a long tube the rates of ionization via electron impact and diffusion loss to the tube wall must be equal.     

A high-current rail-type gas switch with preionization by an additional corona discharge

The characteristics of a high-current rail-type gas switch with preionization of the gas (air) in a spark gap by an additional corona discharge are investigated. The experiments were performed in a voltage range of 10–45 kV using a two-electrode switch consisting of two cylindrical electrodes with a diameter of 22 mm and a length of 100 mm and a set of laterally located corona-discharge needles. The requirements for the position and size of the needles are defined for which a corona discharge is ignited before a breakdown of the main gap and does not change to a sparking form, and the entire length of the rail electrodes is efficiently used. The fulfillment of these requirements ensures stable operation of the switch with a small variation of the pulse breakdown voltage, which is not more than 1% for a fixed voltage-pulse rise time in the range from 150 ns to 3.5 μs. A short delay time of the switch breakdown makes it possible to control the two-electrode switch by an overvoltage pulse of nanosecond duration.     

Glow Discharge Characteristics of Hollow Needle-Plate Electrode in Atmospheric Pressure ArgonSCIEI北大核心CSCD

Atmosphere pressure uniform plasma has the broad application prospect in the industrial field. Using hollow needle cathode - plate anode device excited by direct-current voltage, a uniform and stable glow discharge is generated at atmospheric pressure in ambient air with argon used as working gas. The influence of the experimental parameters (including gas flow rate and the gas gap width) on discharge has been investigated by optical method. It can be found that a glow-discharge plasma column can bridge the two electrodes. The plasma column is uniform, and no filaments can be discerned. Near the plate electrode, the diameter of the plasma column is largest of all positions. The maximal diameter of the plasma column increases with increasing the discharge current or the gas flow rate. Through electrical method, the voltage-current characteristic has been investigated. It has been found that the discharge voltage decreases with increasing the current which is similar with the characteristic of glow discharge in low pressure. It increases with increasing the gas gap width or the gas flow rate. By analyzing the optical emission spectrum scanning from 330 to 450 nm emitted from the direct-current glow discharge, the molecular vibrational temperature and the intensity ratio of spectral lines I-391.4/I-337.1 have been investigated as functions of the gas flow rate and gas gap width. Results indicate that both the vibrational temperature and the intensity ratio of spectral lines I-391.4/I-337.1 decrease with increasing the gas flow rate or the gas gap width. In addition, the molecular vibrational temperature and the intensity ratio of spectral lines I-391.4/I-337.1 have been investigated in spatial resolution along the direction of gas flow(plasma column axial), and give a qualitative analysis as well. It is found that the vibrational temperature and the average electron energy increase with increasing the distance from the hollow needle cathode. These results are important to the industrial applications of glow discharge.     

Plasma discharge with bulk glow in the liquid phase exposed to ultrasound

It is shown that a specific form of the electric discharge with bulk glow in the entire space between electrodes and an increasing current-voltage characteristic inherent to the anomalous glow discharge in gas can exist in a liquid exposed to an intense ultrasonic field above the cavitation threshold. Such a discharge can be initiated between planar or rod electrodes in liquid in the mode of developed cavitation excited by an ultrasonic acoustic field. It is found that a plasma pinch is formed during cavitation between electrodes immersed into liquid. The pinch is stable at relatively low voltages (??30?C60 V) and currents (4?C8 A).     

空心针-板电极大气压氩气辉光放电的特性研究

大气压均匀放电等离子体在工业领域具有非常广泛的应用前景,它是利用直流电源激励的空心针-板放电装置,以氩气为工作气体在大气压空气中产生均匀稳定的放电。对氩气流量和气隙间距对辉光放电发光特性的关系进行了研究,结果表明放电所产生的等离子体柱连接两个电极,发光较为均匀(观察不到放电丝)。在板电极附近放电等离子体柱直径最大,最大直径随着电流和气流的增大而增大。放电伏安特性研究发现,与低气压辉光放电相类似,两电极间的电压随着电流的增大而减小,并且随气流和气隙间距的增大而增大。对该大气压直流均匀放电在扫描范围为330～450 nm的光学发射光谱进行分析,获得了放电等离子体的分子振动温度和谱线强度比I_391.4/I_337.1随氩气流量和气隙间距的变化关系。I_391.4/I_337.1均随流量和气隙间距的增大而降低。对等离子体柱的I_391.4/I_337.1沿气流方向(等离子体柱轴向)进行了空间分辨测量,并进行了定性分析,结果表明,振动温度及电子平均能量随着远离空心针口距离的增大而增大。这些结果对大气压辉光放电在工业中的应用具有重要意义。     

间隙绝缘电极辉光放电实验观察

实验研究了ITER H2/He辉光放电壁处理(GDC)系统的电极合理的间隙绝缘参数及标定辉光过程中沉积在电极头部的热负载.进行了H2/He击穿电压特性试验,在ITER GDC预期的壁离子电流密度条件下研究了H2/He辉光放电电压和试验电极上热负荷与压强的关系、试验电极启辉耐受特性、试验电极温度与热负荷的关系以及在不同区...     

Influence of Gap Spacing between Dielectric Barriers in Atmospheric Pressure Discharges

The breakdown activity in helium atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma is strongly modified by introducing small impurities (nitrogen (N₂) and air in ppm), although its precise implications for the behavior of discharge plasma is not evident under several constraints. In this simulation study, we investigate the influence of gap spacing between the dielectric barriers to explore the dynamic modification in the structure of discharge plasma in distinct phases of the discharge current pulse using a two‐dimensional fluid model in He‐air gas mixture. Specifically, the impact of nitrogen and air impurities is contrasted by exploring the spatial distributions of electrons in the breakdown phase under similar operating conditions. The filamentary mode of DBD plasma in He‐N₂ is transformed into uniform glow discharge in He‐air gas mixture by the dominant effect of Penning ionization. Finally, the outcomes of two‐dimensional fluid model are validated by comparing with three‐dimensional fluid model to provide the reliability of numerical simulations. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Numerical studies of atmospheric pressure glow discharge controlled by a dielectric barrier between two coaxial electrodes

The glow discharge in pure helium at atmospheric pressure, controlled by a dielectric barrier between coaxial electrodes, is investigated based on a one-dimensional self-consistent fluid model. By solving the continuity equations for electrons, ions, and excited atoms, with the current conservation equation and the electric field profile, the time evolution of the discharge current, gas voltage and the surface density of charged particles on the dielectric barrier are calculated. The simulation results show that the peak values of the discharge current, gas voltage and electric field in the first half period are asymmetric to the second half. When the current reaches its positive or negative maximum, the electric field profile, and the electron and ion densities represent similar properties to the typical glow discharge at low pressures. Obviously there exist a cathode fall, a negative glow region, and a positive column. Effects of the barrier position in between the two coaxial electrodes and the discharge gap width on discharge current characteristics are also analysed. The result indicates that, in the case when the dielectric covering the outer electrode only, the gas is punctured earlier during the former half period and later during the latter half period than other cases, also the current peak value is higher, and the difference of pulse width between the two half periods is more obvious. On reducing the gap width, the multiple current pulse discharge happens.     

HL-2A装置气体击穿延迟时间

气体击穿延迟时间实验数据表明,HL-2A装置的气体击穿过程可以用修改了的有电极放电汤森德电离公式,并考虑电子的几何损失来进行描述。     

Effects of gas pressure on plasma characteristics in dual frequency argon capacitive glow discharges at low pressure by a self-consistent fluid model

A self-consistent fluid model for dual radio frequency argon capacitive glow discharges at low pressure is established.Numerical results are obtained by using a finite difference method to solve the model numerically, and the results are analyzed to study the effect of gas pressure on the plasma characteristics. It shows that when the gas pressure increases from 0.3 Torr(1 Torr = 1.33322×10~2 Pa) to 1.5 Torr, the cycle-averaged plasma density and the ionization rate increase;the cycle-averaged ion current densities and ion energy densities on the electrodes electrode increase; the cycle-averaged electron temperature decreases. Also, the instantaneous electron density in the powered sheath region is presented and discussed. The cycle-averaged electric field has a complex behavior with the increasing of gas pressure, and its changes take place mainly in the two sheath regions. The cycle-averaged electron pressure heating, electron ohmic heating, electron heating, and electron energy loss are all influenced by the gas pressure. Two peaks of the electron heating appear in the sheath regions and the two peaks become larger and move to electrodes as the gas pressure increases.     

Generation of Electron Beams in the Range of Forevacuum Pressures

This paper presents the results of a study on the generation of electron beams at gas pressures ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 Torr. The fact that this range of pressures is attainable with mechanical pumps only has provoked interest in this problem. To generate an electron beam, use is made of a plasma source based on a hollow-cathode discharge in combination with a plane-parallel acceleration gap. In the given range of pressures, the peculiarities of emission and acceleration of electrons are related to the high probability of ionization of the gas in the acceleration gap and to the formation of an ion flow propagating toward the electron beam. This causes a decrease in discharge operating voltage and also an increase in plasma density in the emission region. Two types of breakdown are observed in the acceleration gap: an interelectrode breakdown and a breakdown in the plasma–electrode system. The designed electron source allows one to obtain beams of cylindrical cross section with currents of up to 1 A and energies of up to 10 keV.     

Time-resolved impact ionization in ZnSe high-voltage switches

Fast electrical streamer and glow avalanches in ZnSe semiconductors are investigated, for applications in fast spontaneous or triggered switches. We present time-resolved observations of these self-sustained, impact ionization events in bulk polycrystalline ZnSe at room temperature. Under high voltages (~20 kV) short-current pulse (~3 ns) electrical excitation, the 1 ns risetime current pulses cause the emission of the bandgap radiation, which in turn is used to characterize the role of the plasma during the switching interval. Using a picosecond resolution streak camera, plasma streamers were recorded, in undoped ZnSe, and a uniform glow was observed in n-doped samples for the duration of the 3 ns, 1 kA current pulse. This paper concerns the behavior of the avalanche breakdown mechanism, which is relevant for applications in high energy switches, and we will discuss the possibility of using the avalanche process to pump high-power light-emitting semiconductor devices     

Evolution of subnanosecond pulsed electric breakdown of gas gaps for uniform gas preionization

Initiation and evolution of breakdown of gas gaps by surge voltage pulses with a rise time of ≤1 ns are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The propagation of ionization waves for a uniform initial electron distribution in the gap is analyzed. The results of calculation are in qualitative agreement with the experiment. It is shown that the evolution of ionization waves leads to electric field redistribution in the discharge gap, and a region of an enhanced field with the strength sufficient for initiating emission processes and generation of a short fast electron beam in the cathode region is formed at the cathode for a very short time (up to 100 ps).