Investigation of Characteristics and Parameters of Plasma of an Overstressed Nanosecond Discharge in Krypton between Electrodes Made of a Superionic Conductor – Silver Sulfide

Abstract

The results of a study of the electrical and optical characteristics of an overvoltage nanosecond atmospheric pressure discharge between electrodes made of a superionic conductor (Ag2S) in krypton are presented. The destruction of electrodes in the discharge and the introduction of Ag2S vapor into the interelectrode gap occurred due to microexplosions of inhomogeneities on the working surfaces of polycrystalline electrodes (the formation of ectons) in order to synthesize thin films based on this compound on the surface of a dielectric substrate which was installed near the electrodes. By numerically solving the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the electron energy distribution function, the temperature and the electron density in the discharge, the specific discharge power losses for the main electronic processes, and the rate constants of the electronic processes depending on the parameter E/N for the plasma of vapor-gas mixtures based on krypton and silver sulfide have been calculated. Homogeneous thin films based on silver sulfide were synthesized on the quartz substrates by the gas-discharge method under conditions of ultraviolet assisted discharge plasma.