Direct current high-pressure glow discharges

Stabilization and control of a high-pressure glow discharge by means of a microhollow cathode discharge has been demonstrated. The microhollow cathode discharge, which is sustained between two closely spaced electrodes with openings of approximately 100 mu m diam, serves as plasma cathode for the high-pressure glow. Small variations in the microhollow cathode discharge voltage generate large variations in the microhollow cathode discharge current and consequently in the glow discharge current. In this mode of operation the electrical characteristic of this system of coupled discharges resembles that of a vacuum triode. Using the microhollow cathode discharge as plasma cathode it was possible to generate stable, direct current discharges in argon up to atmospheric pressure, with estimated electron densities in the range from 10(11) to 10(12) cm(-3). The recently demonstrated parallel operation of these discharges indicates the potential of this technique for the generation of large volume plasmas at high gas pressure through superposition of individual glow discharges. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)07304-1].