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The Study of DC- and AC-Driven GaAs-Coupled Gas Discharge Micro Plasma Systems: Modeling and Simulation

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Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate and compare gas discharge–semiconductor systems (GDSS) operating under direct-current (DC) and alternating-current (AC) modes for any contribution toward improving energy conversion efficiency. Nonthermal micro plasma discharge systems with novel pattern recognition solutions have received scientific attention due to the rapid technological innovation and faster resolution of complicated problems in computing technology. In the scope of this study, AC-driven discharges using argon gas at atmospheric pressure (760 Torr) were modeled and simulated at 50 Hz and 20 kHz pulse rates generated by a 1.0 kV amplitude power source. DC-driven discharges using argon gas at various sub-atmospheric pressures from 10 Torr up to 760 Torr were also modeled and simulated in the GDSS cell to which a high-ohmic semi-insulating gallium arsenide (GaAs) electrode material was coupled. Gallium arsenide compound semiconductor material has been widely used in optoelectronics due to its high electron mobility and direct narrow band gap properties. DC- and AC-driven micro plasmas were numerically analyzed using the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation program in two-dimensional media. Simulation results in a set of surface and multiple-line graph media were deeply evaluated and reported based on the time-dependent computations of various discharge parameters including mean electron energy, migrative electron flux, surface charge density, space charge density, and surface electron current density for both DC- and AC-driven dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) micro plasma modes. It was observed that highly recognizable unique micro plasma pattern formations can be controlled on a large scale by varying the discharge key parameters and driving modes.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been supported by Gazi University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (BAP Project Number: FDK-2023-8701.

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  1. Department of Physics, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

    Hatice Hilal Yücel, Selçuk Utaş & Erhan Ongun

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  1. Hatice Hilal Yücel
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Yücel, H.H., Utaş, S. & Ongun, E. The Study of DC- and AC-Driven GaAs-Coupled Gas Discharge Micro Plasma Systems: Modeling and Simulation. J. Electron. Mater. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-024-11098-6

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