MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF AN ANALYTICAL GLOW-DISCHARGE - MOTION OF ELECTRONS, IONS AND FAST NEUTRALS IN THE CATHODE DARK SPACE

To understand and to optimize the results obtained with analytical techniques which use a glow discharge as an atomization, excitation or ionization source, an insight in the fundamental processes of the glow discharge is necessary. This insight can be obtained by theoretical modeling studies. In this work, a Monte Carlo simulation is described for the electrons, ions and fast neutrals in the cathode dark space, and the results are compared with results of a kinetic model. The effect of anisotropic angular scattering and elastic collisions on the plasma properties and on the sputtering process is illustrated.