Electron and ion kinetics in a micro hollow cathode discharge

Electron and ion kinetics in a micro hollow cathode discharge are by means of two-dimensional axisymmetric particle-in-cell Carlo collision simulations. Argon discharges at 10 and 300 Torr are for various driving currents. Electron and ion energy probability (IEPF) are shown at various times and locations to study the-temporal behaviour of the discharge. The electron energy probability (EEPF) evolves from the Druyvesteyn type in the early stages of discharge into a two (or three) temperature distribution when steady state reached. In steady state, secondary electrons accelerated across the fall populate the high energy tail of the EEPF while the low energy is populated by trapped electrons. The IEPF evolves from a in the negative glow (bulk) to a two temperature distribution on cathode surface. The overpopulation of low energy ions near the cathode is attributed to a larger collision cross section for low energy ions ionization within the cathode fall.