Rf breakdown of low-pressure gas and a novel method for determination of electron-drift velocities in gases

This paper reports the results of the detailed and comprehensive experimental and theoretical treatment of the rf gas breakdown. We give the measured breakdown curves of the low-pressure rf discharge in argon, hydrogen and air in a broad range of gas pressures and interelectrode distances. The different processes of generation and loss of charged particles participating in the rf gas breakdown are discussed. We suggest to distinguish the following sections on the rf discharge breakdown curves: multi-pactor, Paschen, diffusion-drift and emission-free ones. The analytic gas breakdown criterion of the combined (rf plus weak dc electric field) discharge taking into account the anisotropy of electron diffusion in the electric field is obtained. A novel method for determining the electron-drift velocity from the measured rf breakdown curves is suggested. The electron-drift velocity data in argon, hydrogen and air obtained with this technique in the range E/p ≈ 50–2000 V cm−1 Torr−1 are given and compared with those got by conventional means.