Scaling and laws of DC discharges as pointers for HiPIMS plasmas

TL;DR

This paper reviews scaling laws of DC glow discharges, presents experimental results on copper-helium discharges across various pressures and electrode sizes, and discusses the complexities and potential for developing similar laws for non-stationary HiPIMS plasmas.

Contribution

It provides experimental data on DC glow discharge scaling and discusses the challenges and prospects of establishing similar laws for complex HiPIMS plasmas.

Findings

Pressure and electrode distance are interdependent in breakdown voltage.

Scaling affects reduced normal current density and electric field.

Complexities of HiPIMS are discussed in relation to DC discharge scaling.

Abstract

Scaling or smiliarity laws of plasmas are of interest if lab size plasma sources are to be scaled for industrial processes. Ideally, the discharge parameters of the scaled plasmas are predictable and the fundamental physical processes are unaltered. Naturally, there are limitations and ranges of validity. Scaling laws for direct current glow discharges are well known. If a well diagnosed discharge is scaled, the field strength in the positive column, the gas amplification and the normal current density can easily be estimated. For non-stationary high power discharges like high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) plasmas, scaling is not as straight forward. Here, one deals with a non-stationary complex system with strong changes in plasma chemistry and symmetry breaks during the pulses. Because of the huge parameter space no good parameters are available to define these kind of discharges unambiguous at the moment. In this contribution we will discuss the scaling laws for DC glow discharges briefly and present experimental results for a discharge with copper electrodes and helium as plasma forming gas. This discharge was operated in a pressure range from 200 to 1600 hPa with three different electrode diameters (D=2.1, 3.0 and 4.3 mm). Results from breakdown voltage measurements indicate that the pressure and electrode distance cannot be varied independently. Effects of the scaling on the reduced normal current density, the reduced normal electric field in the positive column and discharge temperature will be discussed and limitations highlighted. Compared with these results the added complexity of HiPIMS plasmas will be described. Suggestions in the community how to obtain experimental finger prints of the plasmas will be reviewed and implications from the experiences with DC discharges on the development of similarity laws for HiPIMS plasmas will be discussed.