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Microdischarges at moderate to high pressure in argon were investigated. A hole opening diameter of 500 µm direct current (dc) microhollow cathode discharges (MHCD) were characterized by electrical measurements and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) for pressures ranging between 90 and 800 Torr and current from 5 to 20 mA. Current-voltage characteristic curves were obtained as a function of the pressure for this hole diameter. MHCD enables stable dc discharges for molybdenum electrodes material at constant Ar + 2%H2 flow of 0.03 l/min. Optical emission spectroscopy and analysis of the spectral line broadening of plasma line emissions were performed in order to measure gas discharge parameters. Electron number densities were obtained from Hβ Balmer line ( ~ 10(14) cm-3). For the above mentioned discharge conditions, gas temperature was estimated to be 550 - 850 K from OH rotational bands. Excitation temperature was measured based on two lines method (from atomic Mo lines) and from 4p - 4s and 5p - 4s Ar radiative transitions. Hydrogen atom temperature was measured for 800 Torr ( ~ 12000 K).

Non-equilibrium plasmas have been used as one of the principal technologies for development of microelectronics and they are the basis for the development of new generations of nano-electronics devices required for 65 and 40 nm technologies. Microdischarges recently have become more common in everyday life. Technology of plasma etching has enabled us to develop such discharges and the field of microdischarges has grown into the most interesting field of the physics of collisional non-equilibrium plasmas. Recently, an effort to fabricate microplasma sources that can be integrated with other MEMS devices to form larger Microsystems has been made. Plasma-based microsystems can find application in bio-microelectro- mechanical system (bio-MEMS) sterilization, small-scale materials processing and microchemical analysis systems. However, integrability requires not only a size reduction, but also an understanding of the physics governing the new small-scale discharges. In this paper, we have performed modeling of a breakdown voltage by using Particle-in-Cell/Monte Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) code taking into account the secondary electron emission due to a high field.

We propose a mechanism to explain many features of the multi-filament dielectric barrier discharge: while part of the charge deposited during previous discharge cycles is immobile on the dielectric over time periods of seconds, the larger fraction of the deposited charge must be mobile on time-scales of hundreds of ns. For alumina, we estimate that a sheet resistance of 3 MΩ sq-1 is consistent with the multi-filament discharge; an increase in conductivity of at least 12 orders of magnitude. The existence of this type of plasma-induced surface conductivity could prove relevant in modeling a wide range of plasma devices, in addition to DBD.

Devices with micrometer and submicrometer gaps can face a serious challenge due to electrical breakdown during manufacturing, handling, and operation. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of the breakdown voltage at different gaps. Since the Paschen's law is not valid for gaps smaller than several micrometers, modified Paschen curve should be used to predict breakdown voltage for microdevices. One of the possible mechanisms responsible for the reduction of the maximum operation voltage at small gaps is the field emission (FE). In this paper, particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulations, including the ejection of electrons from the cathode due to a high electric field, have been carried out to estimate the significance of the FE effect on the breakdown voltage in microgaps.

International audience; This paper describes how to light several microdischarges in parallel without having to individually ballast each one. The V-I curve of a microhollow cathode discharge is characterized by a constant voltage in the normal glow regime because the plasma is able to spread over the cathode surface area to provide the additional secondary electrons needed. If one limits the cathode surface area, the V-I characteristic can be forced into an abnormal glow regime in which the operating voltage must increase with the current. It is then possible to light several microdischarges mounted in parallel without ballasting them individually. Microdischarges are nonequilibrium discharges spatially confined to dimensions smaller than 1 mm. They are a promising approach to the generation and maintenance of stable dc glow discharges at atmospheric pressure and they present interesting challenges for plasma science ͑impact of quantum electrodynamics on spontaneous emission rate and quasineu-trality breaking͒. 1 Parallel microplasmas can be created using several kinds of microdevices. 2 Some teams use ballasts to individually initiate the plasma in each microcavity independently. 3,4

We studied statistical behavior of microdischarges of diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) operated in nitrogen atmosphere at two input voltage regimes. We measured spectrally unresolved discharge patterns together with discharge electrical parameters using highspeed iCCD camera and digital storage oscilloscope. External synchronization enabled us to measure the discharge pattern during positive and/or negative half-period of input high voltage in the single-shotmode of operation. The comparison of microdischarges behavior during positive, negative and both half periods of input high voltage was performed for two levels of input voltage, i.e. voltage slightly above ignition voltage and high above ignition voltage (“overvoltage”). The number of microchannels crossing discharge gap was counted and compared with number of microdischarge current peaks observed during corresponding half-period of input high voltage. The relations of those incidences was shown and discussed.

Time series of pulsating microdischarges were analysed. The results showed that deterministic chaos is present in these series. The estimated values of the correlation coefficients indicated a strong chaotic discharge behaviour.