Electrical behavior and vacuum ultraviolet radiation efficiency of monofilamentary xenon dielectric barrier discharges

Abstract

In this paper we report the experimental investigation of a pure xenon monofilamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), using a high voltage power supply. Stable microdischarges were achieved and studied in the pressure range of 100–400Torr, at frequencies between 10 and 40kHz. Successive 3ns exposure time snapshots of the discharge clearly show how it built up. Its diameter was about 0.26mm. The discharge voltage and current were determined from the measurement of the supply voltage and current. Compared to those in argon, the current pulses were shorter (less than 30ns, above 200Torr) and had much higher peak values. Ignition voltages were also higher in the heavier gas. Electrical energy and vacuum ultraviolet radiation energy of the second continuum of xenon were both independent of frequency. They both varied almost linearly with pressure. The measured DBD vuv efficiency of a single xenon microdischarge reported here was between 55% and 60%, and the maximum value was reached for 200Torr. These values were twice those reported for multifilamentary discharges working with a sinusoidal supply. They were similar to those obtained for multifilamentary dielectric barrier discharges excited with short voltage pulses.