Collisional sheath dynamics

Abstract

Using a collisional fluid model, we investigate the dynamics of the collisional sheath following the application of a large, negative, finite-rise-time, voltage pulse to a planar target. For a moderate amount of collisionallity, we find that the ion impact energy decreases significantly, while the sheath width and ion flux (i.e., the ion current) are not greatly reduced. The theory shows fair agreement with experimental measurements. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.