Characteristics and Parameters of Plasma of a High-Voltage Nanosecond Discharge in Argon at Atmospheric Pressure with an Ectonic Mechanism of Copper Vapor Introduction into Plasma

Abstract

The characteristics and parameters of a high-voltage nanosecond discharge between copper electrodes in argon at atmospheric pressure are presented. In the process of microexplosions of inhomogeneities on the working surfaces of the electrodes in a strong electric field; copper vapors are introduced into the gap between the electrodes due to the formation of an ecton. This creates the prerequisites for the synthesis of thin nanostructured copper films which can be deposited on a dielectric substrate installed near the electrode system. The spatial and electrical characteristics of a nanosecond discharge were investigated at a distance d = 2 mm between the electrodes. A study of the emission spectra of the discharge and the oscillograms of the emission of the most intense spectral lines and bands was carried out, which made it possible to establish the main excited products that are formed in plasma. Optimization of the time-averaged UV radiation of a point emitter was carried out depending on the voltage supply of the high-voltage modulator and the repetition rate of the discharge pulses. By the method of numerical simulation of the discharge plasma parameters based on argon at atmospheric pressure and copper vapor by solving the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the electron energy distribution function: mobility, tempe-rature and density of electrons in plasma, specific discharge power losses for the main electronic processes and their rate constants depending on the value of the ratio of the electric field strength (E) to the total concentration of argon atoms and a small admixture of copper vapors (N) for plasma under conditions close to those realized in this experiment have been calculated.