An analog of the hollow cathode effect in low-pressure high-frequency capacitive discharge

Abstract

We have studied the process of ion flux formation in a low-pressure high-frequency capacitive discharge in the presence of a cavity on the electrode surface. If the cavity size is on the order of an electrode space charge sheath thickness, the spectrum of ions arriving at the cavity bottom surface contains a low-energy peak. The mechanism responsible for this peak is analogous to the hollow cathode effect in a dc discharge.