| 摘要 |
<p>A method and apparatus for stabilizing glow plasma discharges by suppressing the transition from glow-to-arc includes a perforated or apertured dielectric plate having an upper surface and a lower surface and one or more holes extending therethrough. The perforated dielectric plate (130) is positioned over the cathode (120). Each of the holes acts as a separate active current limiting microchannel that prevents the overall current density from increasing above the threshold for the glow-to-arc transition. This allows for a stable glow discharge to be maintained for a wide range of operating pressures and in a wide range of electric fields include DC and RF fields of varying strength. In another embodiment, the device comprises an AC glow plasma discharge device wherein an apertured dielectric is placed over an electrode. The apertured dielectric may have one or more apertures or capillaries extending therethrough.</p> |
