Simulation of Microhollow Cathode Discharge With Planar and Hollow Anodes

The 3-D fluid models of microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD) with both planar- and hollow-anode structures are presented. In the planar-anode structure, the highest densities are ~10¹⁸ and ~10¹⁹ m^-3 for electron and ion, respectively, and the electron mean energy is in tens of electronvolts. In the hollow-anode structure, densities and electron mean energy are higher than in planar one, which indicates that this structure is more attractive than the planar one. The influences of pressure on the MHCD have also been discussed.